A chilling comment between kids at Kealakehe Elementary has turned into a full-on police investigation in Kona, after a 9-year-old student allegedly told another child not to come to school because he said he had a gun. Detectives with Hawai‘i Island Police Department’s Area II Juvenile Aid Section have opened a terroristic threatening case, notified school officials, and are assessing campus safety. Because the suspect is a minor, authorities say the child’s identity will not be released while the investigation is underway.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Kona patrol officers contacted the 9-year-old on January 29, and the allegation is being handled as second-degree terroristic threatening. Investigators do not believe the child actually has access to a firearm, and police are working closely with school administrators and the student’s family as they sort out what happened. Detectives are asking anyone who may have information about the alleged threat to come forward.
Police are directing tips to the department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or to Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300, where callers can remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers may offer rewards of up to $1,000, according to the Hawai‘i Police Department. Juvenile investigators typically take the lead on school-related threats, and officials stress that strict juvenile privacy rules sharply limit what details can be shared with the public.
Police Response And School Safety
West Hawai‘i schools have seen similar scares before, and police have not hesitated to respond quickly, even when the end result is a brief lockdown and a lot of relieved parents. In a separate case reported previously, officers investigated an alleged firearm threat near Konawaena High School and handed the situation to the Area II Juvenile Aid Section for review, according to Hawaii News Now. Incidents like these have made it clear that Kona patrol officers treat any hint of a school threat as serious business.
Legal Angle
Under Hawaii law, “terroristic threatening” covers threats to cause bodily injury or to commit a felony, and it can be charged in different degrees depending on the circumstances. Second-degree terroristic threatening is the lesser level of the offense and is defined in the state penal code; how it is charged and what penalties apply can vary based on the situation and the age of the person accused, according to the Hawaii Revised Statutes §707-717. Because the alleged suspect here is a juvenile, prosecutors and family court usually handle these cases differently than they would for adults.
Detectives with the juvenile section say the investigation is still active and that the students’ identities will remain confidential. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Christopher Ross at (808) 326-4646 ext. 302, the department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311, or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The Hawai‘i Department of Education lists Kealakehe Elementary as part of the Kealakehe complex in Kailua-Kona, where school administrators and police are maintaining a presence while the case is reviewed.
