SENECA, Pa. (EYT) – A 10-year-old Cranberry Elementary School student is facing charges after he was allegedly heard by a school bus driver saying: “I have a bomb in my backpack, and I’m gonna blow up the school and the bus.”

According to Franklin-based State Police, the incident occurred around 11:05 a.m. on Friday, March 9. It was reported to elementary school principal Robert Horner, who called state police.

While no devices were found, charges of terroristic threats and disorderly conduct were filed against the boy.

In the wake of a bomb threat made last week, administrators in the Cranberry School District sent a letter to families of elementary school students dated March 12 asking them to talk with their children about making threats.

Principal Horner told explorevenango.com that there were actually two threats made at the school last week on separate days by different students.

“One was made Thursday and one Friday,” Horner said. “There were no direct threats made to any students or staff. The threatening statements were made to the school.”

Horner said the school was not evacuated either time.

Horner did say the letter was the school’s way of getting parents to talk with their kids about why threatening statements aren’t appropriate.

“We wanted parents to be aware of what some of the kids were doing and why it can’t be tolerated,” Horner said. “We need you (parents) working with us on this, and we weren’t going to tolerate this.”

“When these type of threats occur, I have a responsibility to report them to the police,” Horner said.

Both threats were Level IV, which school policy calls for a 10-day suspension of the student and notifying the police.

The letter, signed by Horner and Assistant Principal Elizabeth Conkle, reads:

We would like to ask all families to have discussions with their children regarding the topic of school safety.

Recently, we have addressed comments made by students who have used threatening words that were classified as Level IV violations. This level of violation warrants a notification to the Pa. State Police and an out of school suspension for at least 10 days.

These are serious violations, and words that are of a terroristic nature are taken seriously. There is no room to say these words in play or jest. These are serious violations, and words of a terroristic nature are taken very seriously.

In order to maintain a safe school environment, all threats will be fully investigated, and appropriate consequences will occur. We ask families to help us by supporting the following recommendations:

– Talk to your children and insist that they understand that terroristic threats are not to be used jokingly. Words such as killing, bombing, shooting, and stabbing are examples of words used when making terroristic threats. The threat is a communication to instill terror in others;

– Make sure that your children know they are to report any threats they hear to an adult at school;

– In light of recent national issues concerning school safety, children must know that we will not tolerate the playful use of threatening statements.

With our recent behavioral violations, it was quickly determined that our students were not in danger; however, the behaviors resulted in severe school consequences and legal action.

“Thank you for supporting us and working together to stand strong against these behaviors. We would much rather visit this unfavorable topic in this letter than have a student suspended and legally charged.

Trooper Michelle McGee, the Community Service Officer at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Franklin, said she believes that open communication between the school and parents is important.

“It’s important that parents talk with their children about this, and it’s important that students that hear a threat report it,” McGee said.

“I think all students should realize all threats that are made verbally — on social media or in writing — in school will be investigated and prosecuted.”

McGee said state police will continue random patrols of school district properties, including walking the halls of schools at times.

“These are things we have done for several years and will continue to do so,” McGee said.