Police: Walmart bomb threat called in by Minnesota teen

Published 4:15 pm Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Investigators with the Clanton Police Department have found the suspect believed to have called in a bomb threat to the Clanton Walmart last Tuesday.

He’s a 13-year-old boy from Andover, Minn., more than 1,100 miles away from Clanton.

Capt. David Clackley learned Tuesday about a similar threat called into the Brewton Walmart.

Phone records indicated that the same number called in both bomb threats and that possibly many more threats have been made elsewhere, Clackley said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no charges have been filed against the teenager, but the boy’s father has been advised of potential charges.

“Clanton PD takes these cases seriously, and all reports of this type will be investigated fully. In the age we live, these types of threats cannot be overlooked or ignored,” Clackley said. “These types of activities can be warning signs of more serious behaviors when seen in teens, and we are working with the parents of the juvenile to get him counseling and address the underlying issue that caused this event.”

The boy’s father told investigators that he had noticed a change in his son recently and that this could be a cry for help, Clackley said.

Given the boy’s age, no other information will be released. Clackley credits Walmart and the Brewton Police Department for their help in finding the caller.