12-year-old admits making false alarms in school dance lockdown case

The 12-year-old boy accused of triggering a lockdown during a Springboro Junior High school dance admitted making false alarms when he appeared Wednesday at a court hearing in Warren County Juvenile Court.

Alex Jones, a special prosecutor appointed to the case, agreed to dismiss a more serious charge, inducing panic on school grounds, as well as misuse of 911.

Judge Joe Kirby ordered the boy, who lives in Clearcreek Twp., to return to court on Jan. 29 for sentencing.

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The boy was detained and charged Nov. 15, the night of the dance.

The school event was disrupted by a series of 911 calls. The first two calls were hang-ups, and the third falsely claimed “someone had a gun” at the school.

On Wednesday, Kirby also ordered police to return the cell phone used in the calls to its owner.

The judge said all previous orders would remain in force.

Kirby had ordered the boy to stay away from school while awaiting a determination from the school.

Also Kirby previously ordered the parents to drop off the boy at the juvenile court center for classroom activities and participation in “treatment groups,” until the school had determined whether he would be allowed to return to class in Springboro.

His status at school was unclear Wednesday.

He was to remain on house arrest under the supervision of his maternal grandparents while the parents are at work.

It was the latest case of a false threat involving a gun in the Springboro schools and one in a series at schools throughout the area.

RELATED: Community service, probation for student who induced panic at Springboro

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