DALLAS — A high school student faces criminal charges after sending a false bomb threat through AirDrop to other passengers on an American Airlines plane departing from El Paso.
Some American Airlines passengers received an AirDrop request to share a photo from a sender named “I have a bomb” as the Airbus A319 jet taxied on Friday at El Paso International Airport, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The outbound flight to Chicago was delayed for hours as law enforcement agencies investigated the bomb threat. The Pennsylvania student confessed to using AirDrop to send the message and was arrested, law enforcement said.
“Evidence supporting the confession was discovered in the suspect’s cellphone,” Texas DPS said in a statement.
A bomb squad searched the plane and luggage. No explosives were found and the threat was deemed noncredible.
The El Paso County attorney plans to prosecute the minor for creating false alarm, a felony under Texas law if it involves public transportation that could result in a $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail.
The suspect was turned over to custody at an El Paso juvenile facility. The suspect’s name was withheld because they are a minor, Texas DPS spokesman Eliot Torres said.
Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh confirmed the detained minor was a student returning from a school-sponsored mission trip near the Texas-Mexico border.
AirDrop allows Apple users to send photos and documents to users of iPhones and other Apple devices.
There were 125 passengers and eight crew members on the plane, according to officials.
American Airlines Flight 2051, which was scheduled to arrive at Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 3:54 p.m., was delayed nearly five hours and landed at 8:42 p.m., according to FlightRadar24.com.
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