News

Student charged with felony for bomb threat tweet

By Bill Moss, Published: October 6, 2016

Henderson County sheriff's deputies arrested a 16-yearold student on a felony charge of making a false bomb threat after a social media message that forced the evacuation of West Henderson High shortly after the morning bell today.

The student tweeted the threat to the West Henderson High School’s official a twitter account page. The school was evacuated and officers began a safety sweep of the property and buildings.

During the course of the investigation, officers identified a person of interest. They arrested Carson Riley Lance of Mills River and charged him the felony count of making a false bomb report on a public building. A backpack was located at the school belonging to the student and x-rays of this backpack were inconclusive as to its actual contents. After an alert by a bomb detection K-9 on the backpack and following FBI protocols, bomb technicians from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office disrupted the backpack with high-pressure water. No bomb or explosive devices were detected when the backpack was opened.

The sheriff's office issued the all-clear at 1:25 p.m.

Lance has been released on a $2000 secured bond and was scheduledto appear in Henderson County District Court Friday morning.

Dozens of law officers and other first responders converged on the high school on N.C. 191 after the bomb threat was made and ordered students and faculty to evacuate to the football stadium.

"The parents have been very patient in allowing us to do our job," Stout said. "We would like to commend them for following the rules and procedures we put in place and we want to specifically give a shoutout to the Highway Patrol, Buncombe County sheriff's office, Mountain Home Fire & REscue and EMS. This has been a truly tremendous effort to bring this to a conclusion today."

He also warned students not to repeat the offense.

"Should any children want to commit similar hoaxes or tweets we will use every investigative tool to find out where it came from and who does this," he said.

He did not know whar charges investigators had brought.

"We will be meeting wth D.A. to see what charges are feasible and will be brought," he said.

"We've got officers on the perimeter and they’re searching cars," said Stout. "It was some type of social media threat, I don't know if it was Facebook or Twitter. It came in and did not give a specific time or location.

"We are taking every precaution to make sure the building is safe and the sutdents are safe," Stout said shortly after 9 a.m.