Case Closed
Highland Park bomb threat saga comes to an end as police close case
More than a month after charging a 16-year-old boy with a host of felonies, the investigation into a series of bomb threats at Highland Park High School has officially ended.
The University Park Police case spanned nearly six months and included help from the FBI and the United States Secret Service.
The upscale campus was rocked by repeated threats of violence since January, including four bomb threats in the form of letters and a spate of threatening texts and emails. Classes were canceled twice to allow the bomb squad to comb the grounds.
On March 1, Crimestoppers announced a $10,000 reward for information on the crimes. It was eventually upped to $30,000, but it was never claimed. The crime was solved due to investigative work and not an anonymous tip.
On April 17, the 16-year-old was arrested and charged with 17 counts of making a terroristic threat, which is a felony. Because he is a minor, the suspect's name has not been released.
The boy was initially linked only to threats levied via text and email, but forensic evidence later tied him to both the .22-caliber bullets found in boy's bathroom and on the threatening notes that first sparked the investigation.
"UPPD has concluded there is no evidence or information to indicate any other person or persons were involved in the matter," police chief Gary Adams said in a May 30 statement.
