2 boys face charges over 'prank' gun call

Two 14-year-old boys from Olympus Junior High are facing possible felony charges after a prank call to 911 claiming a student had a gun in the school.

The school, 2217 E. Murray-Holladay Road (4800 South), was locked down after the call was made about 10:15 a.m. Friday. After dispatchers took the initial call, they tried to transfer the boy to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office to give officers more information, but the boy hung up, said Lt. Paul Jaroscak.

Deputies arrived and started a systematic search of the building. At the same time, investigators tried to track down the caller by using cell-phone records, Jaroscak said.

Detectives found the boy, who claimed someone else had used his phone, Jaroscak said. The second student was also found, and both now face possible charges, including making terroristic threats, which is a felony.

Although the call was a prank, Jaroscak said deputies weren't laughing.

"It's not a joking matter. The sheriff's office and a lot of other agencies train specifically for a Columbine-type incident. Deputies conduct a pretty intense operation in a school to preserve and protect lives. There are groups of police searching a school with guns drawn, expecting an armed threat. It's a very serious situation, in addition to being a major disruption to the school," he said.

The Granite School District is not allowed to discuss what, if any, disciplinary action is taken against any student. District spokesman Randy Ripplinger said in general, serious school-policy violations can result in a three-day suspension or a referral to the district for reviews on suspensions longer than three days.

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