Juvenile suspect in Preston school threat case could face adult charges

KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) — After a juvenile was arrested Thursday night in connection to a threat made to Preston County Schools, 12 News spoke with Preston County Prosecuting Attorney James Shay on the charges that this juvenile could face.

Shay told 12 News that there’s very little information he can share about the juvenile, but that it is possible they could be charged as an adult.

“Later down the road, if there was a determination made by the court system that this case should be transferred to adult status—and I’m not saying that will happen—I’m saying if that were to happen, of course that would become public information, but at this point, it’s confidential,” Shay told 12 News in an interview Friday afternoon.

The juvenile suspect is in state custody in a facility outside of Preston County and could face a court hearing within 10 days.

As of Friday, the prosecutor was considering a charge of making a terroristic threat, which would be a felony if adult charges are filed.

“That’s what we’re looking at, making a terroristic threat, at least initially,” said Shay. “Prosecutions can sometimes—you end up changing the charge or adding charges. I don’t know what that will look like down the road, but at this point, that’s what we’re looking at.”

In West Virginia, a felony charge of making a terroristic threat carries a possible sentence of between one and three years, plus fines.

“In the grand scheme of things, particularly for a juvenile, I think any time you have a juvenile charged with what would be a felony when they’re an adult, you’re looking at the more serious end of things,” said Shay.

All Preston County Schools were on a remote learning schedule Friday. Friday’s football game between the Preston High School Knights and Fairmont Senior is still scheduled to take place in Kingwood.

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