Kevin McArthur
Kevin McArthur, 43, a patient at the Hyland Behavioral Health Center in south St. Louis County, has been charged with a felony for allegedly threatening to blow up Northwest High School in Cedar Hill, St. Louis County Police reported.
An email sent to Northwest School District parents said McArthur is from Cedar Hill. Superintendent Jennifer Hecktor said McArthur was a former student at the high school.
The St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged McArthur on Tuesday, Dec. 6, with second-degree making a terrorist threat, a class E felony that carries a penalty of up to four years in prison. He was being held in the St. Louis County Jail on a $7,000 bond, according to St. Louis County Police.
On Monday, Dec. 5, members of Hyland’s nursing staff and others from the facility reported that McArthur said he planned to “blow up and shoot up” the Jefferson County school when he got out of the center, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
Northwest officials were notified and law enforcement agencies stepped up patrols on the campus, the report said.
McArthur allegedly admitted to making the threat, according to the report.
Hecktor said the district was notified about the threat about mid-day Monday.
“Because the individual was in custody when he made the threat and remained in custody during the investigation, classes were not disrupted,” she said. “The district worked closely with law enforcement officials throughout the afternoon of Dec. 5 and the morning of Dec. 6 and had communication prepared to share with Northwest R-1 staff and families if charges were not pending or an arrest was made.
“We are grateful for the coordination of agencies and the communication that occurred during this investigation. We are especially appreciative of the notification from the nursing staff who reported the remarks. A threat was made, it was taken seriously, and the suspect was arrested.”
Hyland Behavioral Health Center provides education, prevention and treatment services for psychiatric illness and chemical dependency, according to its website.