The 13-year-old suspect who placed a hoax device at a Tamarac school that prompted two evacuations has been charged with disrupting a school function, authorities said Tuesday.
The teen, whose name is being withheld, had been taken in for questioning Monday after the device was found at Millennium Middle School at 5803 Northwest 94th Avenue, Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Jachles said.
Students who saw the 13-year-old put the hoax device in the courtyard came forward to faculty after the school was locked down for an unrelated strongarm robbery in the area, according to Jachles.
The school resource officer reported that a suspicious device had been found at the school around 3:45 p.m., and the BSO Bomb Squad and Homeland Security agents responded to the scene, Jachles said.
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About 1,500 students from Millennium Middle School were immediately evacuated, and about 250 students from Challenger Elementary School next door were also evacuated as a precaution, Jachles said.
The 13-year-old, who had been suspended from the school, told classmates that he put bombs on the campus, Jachles said.
Jachles said Monday that the students and his parents were cooperating with the investigation.
On Tuesday, students returned to the school, along with some unhappy parents.
"I'm a little bit disappointed that there's more news crews here today than BSO officers, cause there should be some kind of authority here that the kids are protected," parent Bridget Argueta said.
"I was pretty freaked out, because my son's classroom is right on the other side of that wall," said Samantha Gur.
Gur said the teen has some lessons to learn.
"You made a big mistake, and he's gonna have to do some time for it because he scared and freaked out a lot of people," Gur said.
Some students said it ruined the last week of school.
"It was scary, I was like scared for my life," Jazmine Thompson said. "I think it's so stupid, I mean we need to enjoy our last week in middle school, so it's unfair to all of us."
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