FBI-L.A. Arrest – Telephoned-In Bomb Threats and Student-Shooting Peril by an Oklahoma Man
LOS ANGELES – Five schools were targeted for terror by an Oklahoma man who grew up in Los Angeles. Not only did he telephone-in bomb threats – he also threatened to shoot the students.
Marcus James Buchanan (44), of Blackwell, Oklahoma was arrested June 1st on a federal criminal complaint, charging him with alleged bomb threats to 5 L.A. schools – 2 of which were elementary schools. The threats were carried out over multiple days.
“According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, during a period of less than two hours on the morning of February 28, Buchanan called in bomb threats to two elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school in Los Angeles,” said FBI Los Angeles. “In a call to one of the elementary schools, Buchanan allegedly threatened to shoot the children as they exited the building.”
It did not stop, there: According to the affidavit, “On April 27 and 28, Buchanan allegedly called-in additional bomb threats to two of the Los Angeles schools he previously threatened, and threatened to shoot and kill children at other schools. On the afternoon of April 27, Buchanan called an elementary school and said to a school employee, “There is a bomb at your school and we will shoot the kids when they get out of the school. That is what you get for not accepting me in ’86.”
When the employee asked who was calling, Buchanan allegedly responded, “If you try to find out, I will shoot you.” After receiving the threat, the school staff notified police and placed the school on lockdown. Police searched the campus for explosives or unusual items but found none.”
The April 28th call threatened a pipe bomb already placed at the school. An immediate lockdown took place for an explosives sweep. A call to an additional elementary school announced, “Stop playing games – you know who this is. I am going to shoot the school. I know the kids are there.” Afterwards, the school was placed on lockdown, but – as with all of the incidents – no explosives or unusual items were found.
Buchanan was scheduled to make his initial June 1st appearance at United States District Court in Wichita, Kansas. Charged with one count of making a threat through interstate commerce to damage or destroy buildings by fire or explosives – a conviction would slap Buchanan with a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Key players include The FBI and the Los Angeles School Police Department, who investigated this matter. Prosecutor in this case is Assistant United States Attorney Morgan J. Cohen of the General Crimes Section.
“A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime,” said FBI. “Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Since phone records indicate that the called-in threats of violent crime and ensuing mayhem originated from a phone number ID’d with Buchanan – hopefully, prison will restrict Buchanan from making further outgoing calls.
