Canadian teen admits false bomb threat to Princeton University

PRINCETON — A Canadian teenager accused of making a phony bomb threat to Princeton University last year has pleaded guilty to creating a false public alarm and was sentenced to two years of probation,

The 16-year-old boy entered his plea Friday, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. It was made public on Tuesday.

The boy, who was 15 at the time, called the Princeton University Department of Public Safety on Sept. 19 and said he had placed improvised explosive devices in a least four locations, including the school's art museum, chapel, main library and Nassau Hall. The campus was largely empty at the time, as most classes were being taught remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The teen, whose name has not been released, was identified as a suspect in March after a multiagency investigation involving authorities in the United States and Canada. He was arrested without incident March 24 at his grandparents’ house in South Vacherie, Louisiana, a rural community between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Authorities have not said why the boy made the false threat.