By Krystal Smalley
news@wbcowqel.com
Dennis Heefner admitted to making a foolish mistake earlier this week, but Crawford County Municipal Court Judge Shane Leuthold was taking that incident very seriously.
Eighteen-year-old Heefner, of Crestline, was charged with inducing panic, a fifth-degree felony, during an initial hearing Friday afternoon. The charge stems from an incident that occurred on March 3 when Heefner responded to a comment on Facebook in which he allegedly wrote “bout to shoot up Galion schools.”
County prosecutor Matt Crall stated that the Galion Police Department acted quickly when informed of the potential threat Thursday morning. As the investigation progressed, authorities determined that Heefner was in the Cincinnati area. The Loveland Police Department apprehended him at a residence in Loveland, Ohio. Crall added that Heefner did not have access to firearms at the Loveland residence.
Crall provided a printed copy of the Facebook post to Leuthold, which contained Heefner’s comment along with a response below that depicted two skull emojis.
“I guess that would indicate death,” Leuthold said.
Heefner turned 18 years old in January, Crall said, and the teen had some truancy issues, though no other issues with the school. He added that Heefner cooperated with law enforcement, appeared to be remorseful, and acknowledged his foolishness with the Facebook post.
“The potential seriousness of this is obviously very, very high,” Crall said, “however, it is difficult to make a recommendation.”
Crall suggested a $50,000 bond due to the type of felony and the potential for wide panic.
“It was meant as a joke,” Heefner said. “I know it wasn’t taken that way; I shouldn’t have said it.”
Leuthold agreed that Heefner should never had made that type of comment.
“This court takes these types of threats very seriously,” Leuthold said. “I think we would all be naïve if we did not acknowledge the national news of tragedies throughout the United States of people coming in to our schools with guns.”
He pointed to the most recent school shooting, which occurred at Madison Local Schools in Butler County on Monday. Four students were injured that day, two of which who were shot by the alleged 14-year-old gunman.
“Anytime someone says ‘I’m going to go shoot up a school,’ we have to take this with the utmost seriousness,” Leuthold added. The judge believed a lower bond would demean the significance of the charge, and would send the message to the community that it would be okay to make outrageous statements like Heefner allegedly did.
“I’m going to take this very seriously,” Leuthold said, noting that, while Loveland police reported that Heefner did not have access to guns in Cincinnati, it did not mean he didn’t have access to them as well in Crawford County. “I’m going to send a clear message to all people in Crawford County that we will not tolerate these kinds of statements that scare people and would cause people not to send their kids to school in a panic because they thought somebody like you is going to show up and cause them harm.”
Rather than Crall’s recommended $50,000 bond, Leuthold increased it to $150,000 and ordered Heefner to have zero contact with Galion schools, including teachers, custodians, or administration. If Heefner made bond, Leuthold also ordered him to surrender any firearms or dangerous ordnances to the Galion Police Department.
Brad Starkey was appointed at Heefner’s attorney. Leuthold ordered a preliminary hearing set in 10 days.
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