Montgomery County police said Friday that they identified the culprit in a 2025 swatting incident, but cannot charge her since she is too young.
The Sept. 9, 2025, call alleged a shooting was taking place in the 19100 block of Montgomery Village Avenue in Gaithersburg.
Police nearby at the time did not hear gunfire and could not find the caller at the scene, and Montgomery County Police Department investigators figured out that the call, placed around 3:40 p.m., was made from a moving school bus.
After figuring that out, police stopped multiple school buses but could not find the caller. On Tuesday, detectives finally identified the suspect as a 12-year-old girl, whom police did not publicly identify.
Under state law, however, she cannot be criminally charged due to her age, the Montgomery County Police Department said.
The police said that she was subject to discipline at her school, though they did not specify what grade she is in or which school she attends.
Normally, unless the swatting results in death or serious injury, the offense is a misdemeanor carrying a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to $2,000.
