Arapahoe County authorities locked down an elementary school and searched it today after one student received a text message featuring a cartoon character holding a pipe bomb.
The message also implied that the pipe bomb was for a teacher at Peakview Elementary School in Centennial, according to a news release from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Nothing suspicious was found during the search. Investigators identified an 11-year-old student at the elementary school as the message’s sender. The girl admitted to sending the message after being disciplined by the teacher, the sheriff’s office said.
The incident began about 8:30 this morning, when a father noticed the text message on his daughter’s cell phone at home. The father went to the school to ask his daughter about the message. His daughter said she didn’t know about the message, and soon sheriff’s deputies were called to the school to investigate.
The 11-year-old student was taken to the Arapahoe County Juvenile Assessment Center. She will face charges of interference with staff, faculty or students of educational institutions, the sheriff’s office said.
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
