A Troy High School student was in custody Wednesday after allegedly threatening to "shoot up the school" on Tuesday.

Lincoln County District Judge Matt Cuffe at a Wednesday morning hearing determined there was probable cause to hold and detain the 17-year Troy juvenile following his alleged threats to shoot students and harm school employees. School officials closed the school after learning of the alleged threats Tuesday "out of an abundance of caution."

Cuffe declared the individual was a delinquent youth. Under Montana code, that means a youth who has allegedly committed an offense that, if committed by an adult, would constitute a criminal offense. The case will remain under the jurisdiction of the Montana Youth Court.

County Attorney Marcia Boris said charges will be filed after the petition is filed, which is required within five days. The juvenile’s next court date will be set at that time.

The juvenile, who will not be publicly identified due to his status as a minor under the age of 18, appeared by video from the Bonner County Juvenile Detention Center in Sandpoint, Idaho, where he is being held following his arrest Tuesday morning. Lincoln County has an agreement with the facility to house juveniles accused of various offenses.

At Wednesday's hearing, Cuffe heard testimony from Troy Police Chief Travis Miller, Troy Superintendent of Schools Christina Schertel and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Detective Capt. Brandon Holzer.

Boris questioned the trio about the days’ events. 

Schertel recounted the frantic time of learning of the threats early Tuesday morning and beginning the process of ensuring student safety.

“I was woken at 4:15 a.m., Tuesday after a call from Principal Tisee Lewis about the threats,” Schertel said. “We have an anonymous tip line where students can call about various things. 

“Students were named in the threats. He was new to our school and I didn’t know much about him. I looked through his student record and discipline records at his previous school. I called [Chief Travis Miller] to help because school was going to be beginning soon and we needed to make a quick decision on whether to close the school, which we did,” she added.

Schertel said the individual had been disciplined for having vaping materials inside the high school, which is not permitted, and noted a threat made Monday to a teacher. She also said ammunition and a knife was found in a backpack the juvenile allegedly had in his possession while a student at a school in Post Falls, Idaho.

“I began calling parents who I believed had kids that may have been the target of the threats to alert them,” she said. “Some parents were concerned that if he weren’t detained there could be retaliation against the students who alerted us to the threats. They were asking if their kids were gonna be safe and I didn’t know what to tell them. I feel if he is detained our parents will feel better.”

Miller said he spoke to multiple students Tuesday evening about the incidents. 

“One student told me that she heard [him] say, ‘I don’t care who I shoot,’” Miller said.

Miller said that after speaking with the juvenile suspect's mother, she asked if she could bring him to the police station and the chief agreed to it.

Defense attorney Scott B. Johnson, appointed to the case by the state Public Defender’s Office, asked the chief if weapons were involved.

“No, it was just a threat,” Miller said. “We asked his mother if there were any weapons in the home and she told us there were just airsoft guns. Later she said there was a gun in the residence, but she said it was locked up.”

Boris questioned the chief about the 17-year-old’s access to guns.

“When we talked to his mom, she said her son talked to a friend about going to the shooting range and she presumed he’d get a gun from a friend,” Miller said.

The mother of the juvenile was also in court for the hearing and declined to comment to The Western News.