Prince William Co. high school student arrested for bomb threat

A Potomac High School student is in custody after police in Prince William County, Virginia, say he left a suspiciously wrapped package on a teacher’s desk.

The 15-year-old boy from Woodbridge was arrested and charged with “threats to bomb” on Monday.



On Friday, a teacher at the school read the package’s note, which implied a bomb was inside, according to a statement form Prince William County police. The teacher notified school security who quickly contacted the school’s resource officer.

Police K-9 and members of the Virginia State Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit responded and determined that there was no bomb in the package and no threat to the school, the statement said.

Following an investigation, authorities say the 15-year-old boy left the package on the teacher’s desk a day before it was found.

The teenager is being held at Prince William County’s Juvenile Detention Center with a pending court date, according to the statement.

Police ask anyone with more information about the incident to contact the Prince William County Police Department tip line at 703-792-7000 or submit a tip to the department’s website.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said Potomac High School is in Dumfries, Virginia, which it is not. The school is just outside Dumfries.

Hugh Garbrick

Hugh graduated from the University of Maryland’s journalism college in 2020. While studying, he interned at the Queen Anne & Magnolia News, a local paper in Seattle, and reported for the school’s Capital News Service. Hugh is a lifelong MoCo resident, and has listened to the local radio quite a bit.

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