Parents charged after teenager arrested with gun at school

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Missouri – The parents of a teenager who was arrested outside a St. Louis County school after making online threats are now charged with attempting to hinder the investigation.

The parents were each charged with tampering with evidence in a criminal case. Prosecutors said they tried to hide evidence in the case against their son, who was charged in juvenile court with terroristic threats, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest.

According to a press release from the Ritenour School District, a threat was made against Ritenour High School. The threat was forwarded to the district and police.

The suspect was identified as a former student and a manhunt was launched, the news release said. School district officials said the threatening mail included a picture and location of Ritenour High School.

Officers found the student in a car in the parking lot of Husky Academy in Overland around 2 p.m. He fled from police and was arrested about a block away, 24 minutes after police were first alerted to the threat.

The police confiscated a loaded pistol.

According to charging documents filed in the cases against the parents, sometime between Sept. 17, when the threats were made, and Sept. 19, they “hid ammunition to prevent its availability in a criminal investigation.” Charging documents allege the father knew the son had several high-capacity magazines, so he gave them to the mother and told her to dispose of the contents.

Both parents are being held on $250,000 bail.