‘Thank God somebody reported': Parents react to Ponderosa High School bomb threat
PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) — Parents are reacting to the Ponderosa High School threat after a student brought an alleged explosive device to school and now could be facing attempted first-degree murder, among other charges.
'I did get a cell phone notification from the school letting us know that they had placed the school on hold because there was a student who was needing additional support,' said Ashley Rice, mother to a Ponderosa sophomore, about Tuesday's events. 'Got a second call, that they were going through evacuation mode due to the potential bomb threat that was there.'
Ponderosa High School student facing attempted murder for 'explosive device'
On Tuesday, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said a school resource officer found a suspected improvised explosive device in the backpack of a 15-year-old male student after a threat was reported through Safe2Tell.
'Thank God somebody reported the Safe2Tell. If it was real, what were the intentions? This could have been much more serious than it was,' said Rice. 'You know your child is going in there, you know anything could happen. Tomorrow isn't promised for any of us… You just hope that good kids report, call Safe2Tell. There's more good kids out there, there's more good than all the scary stuff.'
On Thursday, the agency announced that a 15-year-old male was being held with no bond and deputies were recommending charges to the district attorney's office of:
Attempted first-degree murder
Possession, use or removal of explosives or incendiary devices
Interference with staff, faculty or students of educational institutions
Safe2Tell implements new monthly reporting method as reports continue rising trend
'My heart goes out to the parents of that student. Parent of adolescence… they do crazy things sometimes and I know that family is going through some challenges too,' said Rice. 'We definitely came home and had a family conversation and I think when we found out it was real, the tears kind of started flowing. My son was… it definitely hit him.'
Rice was a Douglas County high school student when the Columbine shooting happened in 1999.
'The world forever changed after that. The way schools handled emergencies changed. As a parent, you hear it on the news, you think, oh, this is in another town, this is in another place, and then when it's here, it's so real,' said Rice.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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