Oak Harbor boy accused of making school threat

A student at North Whidbey Middle School allegedly said he wants to shoot up the school.

A student at North Whidbey Middle School allegedly told a classmate on Jan. 27 that he wants to shoot up the school because he hates his teacher, African Americans and gay people, according to court documents.

The police report states that the boy does not have access to guns and that there are no indications he made any plans for violence, the report states.

The 13-year-old boy was arrested at school and appeared in Island County Juvenile Court on Jan. 28. An official from Juvenile Court Services said the boy is mildly autistic and has impulse control issues, but that he has strong support from his family.

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The boy’s father said he contacted Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic at Seattle Children’s Hospital and that his son will be admitted for a five-day in-patient program. The judge released the boy from detention under the condition that his father change the password on his gun safe and that the boy attends the in-patient program.

Prosecutors charged the boy on Jan. 30 with threats to bomb or injure property.

A report by an Oak Harbor police officer states that the boy got in trouble during class for making a “Nazi salute.” The teacher brought him outside the class to talk to him for a few minutes. When he returned, the boy allegedly told a classmate that he was going to shoot up the school because he hated the school, his teacher, “black people and LGBTQ+ people,” the report states.

He went on to say that he was going to hide an assault rifle in a guitar case, the report states.

Two students reported hearing the boy make the alleged comments, the report states.

The officer spoke to the boy’s father, who said the boy has not made any other threats or plans, but that he has a fixation on war and the military, World War II and Nazis, the report states.