A teenager has been charged with threatening to commit a shooting at Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) in Owensboro.
The Owensboro Police Department said that officers on Tuesday responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of East 23rd Street.
Upon arriving at the scene, police encountered 19-year-old Josiah James, of Owensboro, who had “multiple self-inflicted cuts to his arms requiring medical treatment,” OPD said in a social media post.
While being transported to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital (OHRH), Owensboro police said “James made statements indicating he had a desire to commit a shooting at Kentucky Wesleyan College.”
“Officers coordinated with OHRH to confirm that James was held in a secure setting based on these statements,” according to Owensboro police. A notification was made to officials at Kentucky Wesleyan College informing them of the threat.”
Detectives with the OPD Criminal Investigations Division executed a search warrant at James’ residence where they located “multiple firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition in a backpack,” police said. Detectives also seized multiple electronic devices from James, which led to the discovery of “hundreds of internet searches on school shootings.”
James, upon being released from the hospital on Friday, was arrested and charged with second-degree terroristic threatening, a class C felony in this instance, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He was lodged in the Daviess County Detention Center on a $10,000 full cash bond.
Detectives found no evidence that James is or has ever been a student at KWC.
The college issued the following statement on the incident:
Kentucky Wesleyan College is grateful to the Owensboro Police for their excellent work and vigilance in ensuring the safety of our campus and community. There was never an active threat to our campus. However, we have taken proactive steps to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of our campus. This includes close coordination with Owensboro Police. Further questions on the situation should be addressed to the Police Department.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
