Moline Police Detain 12-Year-Old For Bomb Threat At A Taco Bell

It seems that kids who are 12 years old in Illinois have been acting out quite a bit recently.

Earlier this week, a 12-year-old student was detained when police found they had a BB gun outside of John Deere Middle School in Moline, Ill. The police department received a 911 call from a student on a Metrolink city bus. The student was from a different school district but reported that a Moline student had a gun on the bus.

Now, another 12-year-old was detained by the Moline Police Department after making a false bomb threat to a local Taco Bell restaurant.

Illinois Police Arrest 12-Year-Old Student For Taco Bell Bomb Threat

The Moline Police Department released information about the threat Wednesday evening.

Officials say that on November 13, 2024, the Moline Police Department detained a 12-year-old student for making a false bomb threat at Taco Bell, located at 4120 Avenue of the Cities, Moline.

At approximately 5:00 p.m., the police department received a 911 call from the manager of Taco Bell, reporting that an individual had called the business and made a bomb threat. The caller to Taco Bell provided a description of the suspect in the lobby. Following the call, the manager instructed employees and customers to evacuate the building and she called the police.

Moline Police quickly responded and detained a 14-year-old male suspect outside the restaurant who matched the description. During questioning, the suspect revealed that his friend had contacted him via Snapchat, expressing frustration with him for not coming to hang out.

In retaliation, the 12-year-old friend had called in the false bomb threat to Taco Bell. Police later located the 12-year-old suspect at his residence in Moline. After being detained and interviewed by detectives, the juvenile was referred to Juvenile Court Services for further action.

Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said this in the release Thursday morning,

“This is the second incident this week involving a young person making a poor decision. These are not challenges that law enforcement can address alone. We need the community to be engaged with our youth to help us stop the rise in juvenile crime. Calling in a bomb threat or bringing a BB gun to school are reckless actions that jeopardize public safety and can have dangerous, unintended consequences. The panic alone that these situations create is itself dangerous. We are fortunate that both incidents were resolved quickly without injury, but this highlights the urgent need for a more coordinated effort to prevent juvenile crime. I’m urging our court system, schools, and youth groups, parents and grandparents to come together and take more proactive steps in addressing youth delinquent behavior."

Thank you to the Moline Police Department for taking swift action to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Parents, it's time to start disciplining your kids. Enough is enough.