13-year-old arrested for threatening Desert Hills Middle School

Kennewick police arrested a 13-year-old boy after he allegedly threatened to shoot students at Desert Hills Middle School.

Police began investigating the threat at 10:15 p.m. Monday after a boy told his mother that he heard about the threat from a fellow student, said Officer Roman Trujillo.

The boy didn’t know who was responsible for the threat, but investigators soon learned his name. A school resource officer met the suspect at his house early Tuesday morning.

Officers stayed at the school until the police interview at the teen’s home was finished.

The teen didn’t have access to weapons at either his mom’s or dad’s home.

The boy was booked into the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Detention Center for making the threats.

The student also was emergency expelled, a move aimed at protecting students and staff from potential danger. The expulsion has to be reviewed or converted into another type of corrective action within 10 days.

“The safety of our children remains one of our highest priorities and we appreciate the willingness of a student to report this incident to a trusted adult,” Kennewick police said.

This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 11:55 AM.