2 high school boys arrested in unrelated incidents after social media threats; one had explosive device, sheriff's office says

SILVERDALE, Wash. -- In two separate incidents, Kitsap County sheriff's detectives on Friday arrested two high school students for allegedly making threats over social media. One was found to be carrying an explosive device, investigators said.

In Silverdale, detectives arrested a Central Kitsap High School ninth-grader on a charge of threats to bomb and a charge of possession of an incendiary device.

Administrators at the school had found an explosive device in the 15-year-old boy's backpack.

"The investigation determined that the student brought the device to school after communicating with other students via social media Thursday night, the sheriff's office said in a news release. "There had been discussion of possibly detonating the explosive, either on campus or off-campus, during the time period when a student assembly was scheduled to take place."

Detectives said they found four additional explosive devices at the boy's home and are trying to determine how the boy acquired the explosives.

Meanwhile, in East Bremerton, sheriff's deputies arrested a 14-year-old boy after threats made over social media placed Olympic High School into lockdown.

The boy was booked on a charge of harassment.

"School officials reported that a former OHS student had threatened to return to the school and bring a firearm and other persons with him" in a dispute with a current Olympic High student, a news release said. The former OHS student is enrolled now at another school.

"The former OHS student wanted to fight the current OHS student ... stated that he intended to bring a firearm to the fight," the news release said.

As the high school went into lockdown, a sheriff's patrol sergeant found the suspect and three others younts at a nearby park. The suspect was found to be unarmed, but he was taken into custody for harassment.