6-year-old accused in bomb threat

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Sheriff's deputies in Marion County, Fla., were investigating a kindergarten student who allegedly claimed to have brought a bomb into his school.

Authorities said the 6-year-old student was suspended from East Marion Elementary School after he allegedly claimed to have hidden explosives in the backpack of a classmate, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported Thursday. No bombs were found by police.

School officials said they considered the boy's age when doling out the punishment.

"We have to do that these days," Marion County Schools administrator Kevin Christian said. "We don't have a choice of whether somebody really means something or not. We have to take it seriously. And if we didn't do that, this week it is a kindergartner, next week it is a fourth grader and the following week it is a high school student and God forbid one of them does was they actually say they would do."

The sheriff's office said it does not intend to file criminal charges against the boy, but the child will undergo a risk assessment.