A 17-year-old former Salem Community High School student will face a felony disorderly conduct charge for allegedly sending a series of text messages about wanting to 'do a school shooting'. Marion County State's Attorney Matt Wilzbach says Caleb Myer of Eblin Road in rural Texico was arrested at his home Tuesday afternoon after a search warrant on his cell phone provider confirmed the messages had been sent. Wilzbach says Myer had sent the message to a 16-year-old Salem Community High School student on Saturday who he was trying to get to help. The 16-year-old thought Myer was serious and went to his guidance counselor at school on Monday. The guidance counselor got the school administration involved and they went to police after seeing the messages on the phone of the 16-year-old. Wilzbach says Myer admitted his cell phone was in his pocket all day Saturday, but initially would not deny or admit sending the messages. Myer told the sheriff's department investigator that he sometimes suffered from blackouts. However upon further questioning Wednesday, Myer allegedly admitted sending the messages, but said he had no intent of following through with the shooting. Wilzbach says Myer gave several different reasons why he was sent the messages, including that he was upset with a bully at school. However, he would not provide any names or other information leading Wilzbach to discount the story.
In addition to the search warrant to get Myer's phone records, a second search warrant was executed on Myer's home looking for guns. None were found. Wilzbach says Myer had dropped out of Salem Community High School a few weeks ago. Myer will be charged under the felony disorderly conduct charge for transmitting or causing to be transmitted a threat of destruction of a school building or school property or a threat of violence, death or bodily harm directed against persons at a school, school function or school event. He will make his first appearance in court on the charge on Thursday. full story
