Marion Police have identified two out-of-state teenagers as suspects in an August bomb threat that forced the evacuation of Marion High School.
According to the Marion Police Department, the suspects are a 13-year-old from New York and an 18-year-old from Maryland.
Investigators identified the two with assistance from New York State Police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Maryland.
Police say both suspects are associated with an online extremist group known as 764, described by authorities as a loosely organized network linked to the exploitation, coercion and abuse of minors and other vulnerable individuals.
The group reportedly operates primarily through social media, online gaming communities and messaging applications.
The investigation stems from an incident on August 14th, when Marion Police received an anonymous call shortly after 8 a.m. claiming a backpack containing C4 explosives had been placed inside a restroom at Marion High School.
Police, firefighters and Illinois State Police responded to the school, where students were evacuated to the Crisp Sports Complex with assistance from school faculty and staff.
Emergency personnel searched the building but found no explosive device.
The Illinois Secretary of State Bomb Squad conducted an additional search using a bomb detection dog, which also found nothing. The building was subsequently cleared.
Marion Police say the investigation has now been turned over to authorities in New York and federal law enforcement agencies.
The department did not release the suspects’ names or announce any arrests or criminal charges in its Tuesday update.