Sheriff: 11-year-old charged with terrorizing after false report of gun at school

An 11-year-old boy has been charged with terrorizing after he allegedly made false statements about a gun being on campus at Raintree Elementary School in Baldwin, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.

Just 9 a.m. Friday, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call from Raintree Elementary School in Baldwin that a teacher received a report that a student may have brought a gun to school. Deputies immediately responded to the campus, identified the student involved, and detained the juvenile pending an investigation. Deputies simultaneously secured the school as a precautionary measure and conducted a search of the grounds and other areas. No weapon was located, Anslum said.

During the investigation, detectives found evidence that the juvenile intentionally made false statements about a gun at the school, Anslum said. The 11-year-old juvenile male was arrested on the charge of terrorizing. The juvenile was released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings. The investigation is ongoing.

"The safety of all of our children is priority," Anslum said in the release. "Any reports of a possible threat to their safety will be fully investigated. The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office will continue to partner with the school board, faculty, students, and parents to keep our schools safe.”

Anyone with information on the case can contact the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-828-1960.