‘I need to tell people;’ Teen speaks after telling police about potential school shooting

MARIEMONT — A 15-year-old teenager is speaking out after he told his father that a fellow student told him of his alleged shooting plans.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: FBI working with Colorado police to investigate alleged co-conspirator in Ohio school shooting plot

Boom Swallen said a student he did not know well came to him in the library and shared what the boy called, “A Dark Secret,” according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati.

That student said he had access to a gun and was going to pull the trigger at school.

“He said that if I told anyone about it, he would kill me as fast as possible,” Boom told WCPO.

Despite the threat, he went straight to his father, Zach Swallen, about the threat and allowed police to thwart the accused student.

“I just knew that I needed to tell people immediately because I do not want anyone at the school losing their lives because school shootings happen a lot,” said Boom.

>>‘Credible’ threat at Ohio high school leads to arrest of 14-year-old

He said that the student had planned to use smoke grenades and was working with a friend in Chicago.

The FBI released a statement on Friday saying that Colorado Springs, Colorado police spoke to an individual “connected to the Mariemont school threat case” but did not make any arrests.

Colorado Springs police also said on Monday they are not comfortable calling this person a co-conspirator as of yet, only a “person of interest,” WCPO reports.

Boom told WCPO that he is confident that he did the right thing and that he is thankful for the love and support he’s received.

Zach said messages have also been pouring in from all over the world.

©2024 Cox Media Group