Authorities dropped the charges filed against a Massachusetts teenager who was arrested two weeks ago for allegedly plotting a school shooting.
The Cape and Islands District Attorney confirmed the development on Thursday, a week after the 18-year-old appeared in court, where he was released on $2,500 bail. He was also ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device and remain under house arrest.
Dropping Charges Against Teenager
The district attorney said that investigators learned of a discrepancy that "made further prosecution in the district court no longer available." However, officials did not provide additional details regarding the so-called "discrepancy."
Authorities dropped the charge of threatening to use a deadly weapon in a public building, adding that the investigation into the case is still ongoing. Now, parents are expressing their concern and confusion about why prosecutors decided to drop the charges against the teenager.
One Falmouth parent, Dianna Wilson, said that it was "extremely terrifying" that the suspect is out on the streets without any kind of monitoring whatsoever. She added that the attorney and the suspect's family should think about all of the parents and children in the town who were scared, according to CBS News.
Another parent said that the development is neither fair nor right, saying that they are concerned about moving forward and how they, as a community, could feel safe. On Thursday, a letter to Falmouth Public Schools staff and families announced that there would be no outdoor recess or activities on Friday.
After authorities announced the charges were dropped, Mashpee Public Schools contacted staff and families. It said that they will follow suit with Falmouth schools and have more police officers at the campus.
The suspect in the case was previously identified as Ian Fotheringham, who pleaded not guilty to one count of threatening to use a deadly weapon in a public building when he appeared for an arraignment in Barnstable District Court, Mass Live reported.
Potential School Shooting
Falmouth police started their investigation into the suspect in August after they were informed that the teenager indicated a desire to "shoot up a school." He was supposedly refurbishing guns in his bedroom.
There was a separate incident where a possible mass shooting plot at a Michigan graduation ceremony was thwarted by authorities. Police said they are still searching for one of the two suspects.
The plot was discovered after officials responded to a fight that broke out during the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac graduation in June. In a news conference, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard shared more details about the incident, as per ABC News.
