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EL PASO, Texas — A high school student from Pennsylvania is in custody in El Paso, Texas for a false bomb threat against an American Airlines plane.
A group of students and chaperones from a Pittsburgh catholic high school were heading home from a humanitarian trip to the border to learn about the immigration crisis, according to WPXI and KFOX.
As the flight they were on was taxiing in El Paso, passengers received a message that was airdropped that said “I have a bomb. Would like to share a photo.”
The plane was sent back to the gate where a bomb squad searched the aircraft, passengers and luggage, delaying the flight for about four hours, KTSM reported.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said, according to WPXI, that the juvenile had allegedly admitted to sending the message. When officials searched the teen’s phone, they said they found evidence confirming that he was responsible, KFOX reported.
The teen’s age and name were not released, KTSM reported.
WPXI reported that the student is in custody at a juvenile facility in El Paso, facing felony false alarm or report.
The rest of the group returned home Monday, according to WPXI.
There were 125 passengers and eight crewmembers on board the flight headed to Chicago, KFOX reported.