Sixth-grader threatened to be shot, called 'son of ISIS' in US

Police says seventh-grader threatened to shoot and kill follow schoolmate after argument in school bus

A middle-school student in Ohio has been accused of threatening to shoot and kill a Muslim schoolmate, calling him a 'terrorist' and a 'towel head'.

A seventh-grade boy at Ohio's Morton Middle School got into an argument with another student, a Muslim, and asked him whether was going to bomb him along with calling him a "son of ISIS", according to a police report.



The seventh-grader told police that he got into an argument with a sixth-grader who is Muslim last week because the latter never wants to sit down and plays his music too loudly, the police report added.

The student also admitted to using racial slurs and telling the younger student he was responsible for bringing down the Twin Towers during 9/11 because he was Muslim, the report further said.

Another student said he witnessed the incident and immediately reported it to the school, which in turn alerted authorities. Further, a witness later told police that the seventh-grader said something about bringing a .40-caliber handgun to school the next day to end the argument. However, the seventh-grader denied the claim and said he did not remember saying anything about a gun.

However, when asked whether he could have mentioned the gun out of anger, he said he probably did, according to the report.



The police investigating the incident said, “When I was finished with my interview, I asked him if he wanted to write an apology letter to [the other student], and he said he did.”

A letter was then written by the student, telling the sixth-grader "he was sorry for what he did and sorry for scaring him.”

The seventh-grader now faces a 10-day suspension and possible expulsion, according to the school district.  Police have also said he faces charges of  aggravated menacing and ethnic intimidation. He was arrested and transported to a juvenile detention centre.

“First and foremost in our minds is the safety and security of our students,” Vandalia-Butler City Schools Superintendent Brad Neavin said in a statement.

“It is important for our students and their parents to understand we take them at their word when they make these threats. We will treat all threats seriously, taking immediate and decisive action to protect the safety and welfare of our students, staff and community," the statement added.



Ahmad Murab, the sixth-grader’s father, said he his son came home saying, "'I don’t want to go to school, I don’t want to go to school.’” The father added that they found out from other students what had happened.

Although Murab said he considers the threat a hate crime, he said does not blame the student but the media and possibly the boys' parents for shaping his views.

“Call a criminal a criminal; don’t call a Muslim a terrorist,” Murab said. “It gets this seventh-grader to think all Muslims are bad. I don’t blame him. You put us in a dangerous situation.”

He added, “I don’t blame the other kid. How does he know about the world? Adults are telling him to call people those names.” Murab said his children were born in the United States and don’t deserve to be singled out.”

“This country has Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and people who don’t believe in anything,” he said. "The US is a melting pot.”

"I don’t want to get killed because of my name. … We work; we do everything good," Murab said. Further, he confirmed that his son was fine and had returned to school.



“Call a criminal a criminal; don’t call a Muslim a terrorist,” Murab said. “It gets this seventh-grader to think all Muslims are bad. I don’t blame him. You put us in a dangerous situation.”

He added, “I don’t blame the other kid. How does he know about the world? Adults are telling him to call people those names.” Murab said his children were born in the United States and don’t deserve to be singled out.

“This country has Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and people who don’t believe in anything,” he said adding that, "The US is a melting pot.”

"I don’t want to get killed because of my name. … We work; we do everything good," Murab said. Further, he confirmed that his son was fine and had returned to school.



Muslims in the US have been on edge in recent weeks, saying that are living through an intensely painful moment, while feeling growing anti-Muslim sentiment after the Islamic State attacks in Paris and the San Bernardino shootings, carried out by a Muslim husband and wife.

The anti-Muslim sentiment appears to be intensifying following remarks by Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who called for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The incident shocked many who took to social media to express their views.

7th grader from OH charged w/ threatening to shoot Muslim student, calling him "Son of ISIS"https://t.co/SMnKTANinL#WhereWasHeRadicalized?

— Imraan Siddiqi (@imraansiddiqi) December 14, 2015

https://twitter.com/anon99percenter/status/676436224945479680

https://twitter.com/newsmanone/status/676521369308438529

Kid Threatens To Shoot Muslim Classmate He Called 'Son Of ISIS' https://t.co/irILf61f8C

— Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) December 14, 2015

#Prejudice & #violence go hand in hand, as a 7th grader called a #Muslim student "Son of #ISIS " and threatened him. https://t.co/gijH0kQ5TQ

— /ri'kount/ (@recountmag) December 14, 2015

Police: 7th-grader calls Muslim schoolmate 'son of ISIS,' threatens to shoot and kill him https://t.co/xO0DFK82py

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) December 14, 2015

The older boy called the #Muslim student “the son of #ISIS” and accused him of responsibility for destroying the... https://t.co/pYPFgVgpKb

— Aishah Schwartz (@AishahSchwartz) December 14, 2015

Ohio: 7th-grader calls Muslim schoolmate ‘son of ISIS,’ threatens to shoot and kill him https://t.co/zKtDV9ZchB

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) December 14, 2015

This article originally appeared on The Washington Post