No formal charges have been filed against an 11-year-old Columbus boy accused of telling classmates on a school bus Thursday that he was bringing a gun to school.
A detention hearing was held Friday morning for the sixth grader at W.D. Richards Elementary School, who is accused of making the claim while riding on a school bus Thursday morning. A search turned up no weapon on the boy’s person or in his belongings, Columbus Police spokesman Lt. Matt Harris said.
Since the 11-year-old is preliminarily charged with a Level 6 felony charge of intimidation, he was dressed in a juvenile-issued detention uniform and handcuffed while brought from the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center to the courthouse Friday morning.
The cuffs were removed in the second-floor hallway of the courthouse just before he was escorted into the courtroom.
Two key figures were not present during Friday’s hearing: Juvenile Magistrate Heather Mollo and Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Sexton, who handles juvenile court cases.
In lieu of their absence, as well as the lack of formal charges, the detention hearing was closed and all participants were instructed not to discuss the case outside the courtroom, a court staff member said.
But even if Mollo and Sexton had been present, it is still too early for consideration of formal charges, a court staff member said.
Court officials are still waiting for the findings and conclusions from the investigating officer to be turned in, the staff member said. When the investigative report is submitted, copies will be sent to both the prosecutor’s office and the probation department for their review, the staffer said.
Representatives from juvenile court and the prosecutor meet weekly to determine how cases involving defendants under 18 will be handled, although the choice is ultimately up to the prosecutor, the staff member said. Options in this case include filing a felony charge or a misdemeanor charge, or not filing any charges.
Under Indiana law, juvenile hearings involving charges that would be felonies if prosecuted in adult court are open to the public. Misdemeanor cases for juveniles are not open to the public.
All details from Friday’s hearing, as well as from investigators, will be reviewed and discussed with Sexton to determine the appropriate next step, the staffer said.
Thursday’s incident is the 10th school threat reported in a Bartholomew County school since February 2018.
