Authorities say the Fountain Valley School’s director of information technology and a 16-year-old boy accused on Tuesday afternoon in a hoax that prompted evacuations, are father and son.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby also said a similar device found near a Security fast food restaurant on Monday appears to have been a part of a “dry run” of the hoax.
“Itap not (an) accident,” Kirby said. “Absolutely not.”
, 46, and his son, who is a student at the school, were arrested Tuesday, authorities say. The pair face a long list of possible felony and misdemeanor charges.
The allegations against the pair include: possession and use of a hoax incendiary device, terrorist training activities, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, conspiracy, attempt to influence a public servant, reckless endangerment, child abuse without injury and felony menacing.
Just In: A mugshot of Bryan Bolding, who was arrested in connection to a bomb threat at Fountain Valley School.
— KRDO13 (@KRDO_13)
The boy’s name has not been released.
According to an arrest affidavit for Bolding, , Bolding admitted to being responsible for the hoax bomb in an interview with investigators. Bolding said it was a prank, the affidavit said. Authorities also learned Bolding had been notified in February that his contract at the school wouldn’t be renewed.
Bolding’s son admitted to investigators that “his father taught him how to build these devices approximately two weeks ago,” the affidavit said. The son also said that he and his father initially planned to target the school’s graduation ceremonies on May 27.
El Paso County deputies were called to the school, southeast of Colorado Springs, about 3:15 p.m. on reports of a suspicious “military-grade” explosive or incendiary device that was found in the cafeteria. Kirby said a picture was taken of the device and sent to a bomb expert who said it looked like a realistic improvised explosive device.
“Deputies, bomb squad personnel, SWAT and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive personnel responded to the scene, evacuated the area, and rendered the device safe,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Nobody was injured.”
Kirby said on Monday, a smoke bomb was found Monday near a Sonic restaurant in the town of Security. The device was extremely similar to the one found at Fountain Valley on Tuesday, she said.
“Itap still under investigation,” Kirby said, declining to release more information.
has both boarding and day students — 235 in all.
In a statement , the school said it was planning to resume normal operations on Wednesday.
