INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears says his office is dealing with an "unprecedented" number of cases involving school threats. Mears has filed criminal charges against nine students in just the past two weeks for separate threats at schools across Indianapolis.
"This is a problem, and when we have a problem like this, we need specific legislation that addresses this very specific problem, which is kids making threats against schools, and schools have to respond, and that response has an incredible impact on the learning on that day, as well as everybody is diverting resources from what the core mission of the school should be to respond to the threat," said Mears.
These cases typically result in Level 6 felony intimidation charges. That's the lowest level felony, with no potential for adult court.
"Certainly, we think it would be appropriate for there to be a Level 5 felony charge and greater ability for us as a prosecutor's office to file these charges against people as adults," said Mears. "One of the considerations that you have to make is just the incredible impact it has on the school, that it has on the parents, that it has on law enforcement and the resources that are devoted to addressing these issues."
The students charged are as young as 12 years old. Mears said the threats are being made online as well as in the classroom and hallways. Social media often helps law enforcement track down the source of a threat.
"The other thing that social media does, it very much spreads that initial threat," said Mears. "I just heard so and so say something, and then it gets spreads like wildfire on social media from one student to another. And so that has, I think, certainly helped law enforcement in schools become more aware when these threats are actually taking place."
Mears said detectives and his office are still investigating the origins of other school threats in Indianapolis in the past two weeks beyond those nine cases with charges filed.