YouTube Video Inspired 11-Year-Old's Hoax Bomb Call: Prosecutor

FREEHOLD, NJ — An 11-year-old who saw a bomb hoax play out on a YouTube video and copied the idea has been identified as the person responsible for calling in a bomb threat at a Walmart store in Neptune last Sunday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

The Walmart Supercenter, located on Route 66 in Neptune, was evacuated Sunday afternoon after the call was received at 1:07 p.m., he said. The caller said there was a bomb in the store and suggested people should be evacuated, Grammicioni said.

The store was evacuated and bomb-sniffing dogs from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey Transit Police Department, and Middletown Police Department assisted Neptune Township Police with searching the store for any explosive device, he said. The Neptune Township Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services also responded, he said.

The investigation by the prosecutor's office and Neptune police led to the juvenile, who told investigators he got the idea for the bomb hoax after seeing a video on YouTube depicting a similar incident, he said.

The juvenile is not being identified due to his age, and his case will be handled in the juvenile court system, Grammicioni said.

“Prank phone calls about bomb threats or guns are not a laughing matter. Resources are being deployed at a cost to taxpayers. Parents have a responsibility to monitor what their children do on the internet, where these ideas can be cultivated,” Gramiccioni said.

Walmart Supercenter, Neptune, via Google Maps