16 year old in Lyon Co., Ky. accused of arson, plotting to ‘assassinate’ or shoot 2 of his relatives

LYON COUNTY, Ky. (KFVS) - A western Kentucky teenager is accused of arson and plotting to “assassinate” or shoot two of his relatives.

A 16 year old was taken into custody on two counts of solicitation to commit assault in the first degree and one count of theft by unlawful taking - firearm.

As of Friday, December 23, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said his third-degree arson charge was amended to second-degree arson after deputies found more evidence from the scene of a fire on Wednesday morning, December 21.

The teen was sent to a juvenile detention facility in Bowling Green after he was arrested earlier in December.

According to a press release from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, December 7, they were told that a student may try to bring a gun to school.

The Lyon County School District administration and sheriff’s deputies waited for the student to arrive and took him to an office for an interview. In addition, deputies say two other students were detained in an effort to get more information.

They say the investigation revealed a 16-year-old male student had stolen a handgun off-campus, but had not brought it to school. They said the stolen handgun was later found at the juvenile’s home.

According to the sheriff’s office, they learned the 16 year old attempted to solicit two other people to assassinate or shoot two of his relatives.

When deputies talked to family members, they were unaware of the threat. Deputies believe the threat to these family members was “legitimate and imminent.”

As the investigation continued, deputies say they found evidence of another alleged crime. They interviewed the 16 year old about a house fire in his neighborhood that happened on November 30 around 5:55 p.m.

Deputies say the home was engulfed in flames when crews arrived on scene. They said the home was a total loss.

According to the sheriff’s office, enough evidence was gathered to criminally charge the juvenile with arson in connection with the house fire.

According to deputies, nothing related to any of these crimes actually occurred on the school campus. They said once the suspect was identified, he was removed from the school campus and has had no further contact with other students since.

Sheriff Brent White praised the quick actions of the school resource officer assigned to the Lyon County School District.

“If SRO Deputy Jason Young had not intervened when he did, two innocent people may have lost their lives,” he said in a press release. “The excellent police work by all involved and the coordination between the school district and our deputies allowed this complaint to be vetted quickly and acted upon in a swift but methodical manner. The relationships developed by our S.R.O. deputy with school students and staff are invaluable to our community.”

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