MARIEMONT, Ohio — "He's a hero for what he did."
Zach Swallen said his 15-year-old son, Boom, provided a tip that helped thwart a potential mass shooting at Mariemont High School.
Police arrested a 14-year-old child on Wednesday for a "potential threat" at Mariemont High School that the district said was a "credible plot to harm students and staff."
In an interview with WCPO 9 Thursday morning, Swallen said he couldn't be more proud of his son. Swallen said Boom made a phone call to him Tuesday night after the 14-year-old told Boom about his alleged plan, which included a kill list.
"This swift action was definitely warranted and I'm grateful that my son reached out because if he hadn't..." Swallen said before pausing.
RELATED | Police arrest 14-year-old for 'credible plot to harm students and staff' at Mariemont High School
Swallen said his son came forward despite having been threatened directly.
"The kid had the firearms and had a very elaborate plan and had every intention of carrying out that plan," said Swallen, fighting back tears. "My son, he doesn't lie. He's very literal, I could tell by his tone. And it was told to my son that if he disclosed anything about the plan to anybody, he would be shot and killed. But my son literally told me he didn't care if he got killed as long as he could protect his classmates."
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said during a press conference the student plotted in January with an out-of-state adult, created a list of students and teachers they wanted to kill and planned to access a gun located in the student's home.
Powers said she plans to request the student is bound over and charged as an adult.
Swallen did say he hopes the child who made the threat is able to get help from the right people and, hopefully, rebound from all of this one day.
"We don't know what he's going through and I feel sorry for him," said Swallen. "I want him to know that my son forgives him and I forgive him and I hope he gets help and we're all able to, you know, come together."
He said one message he hopes is taken away from everything is that others will reach out and help if they see another student hurting.
"It takes a real warrior and real strength to do the right things," said Swallen.
During Powers' press conference, Mariemont City Schools' Superintendent, Steven Estepp, acknowledged Swallen and his son, and the impact they've had on the district as a result of coming forward.
"I'm just incredibly thankful that we are able to say today that this plot was thwarted and that a very serious tragedy was avoided because of the proactive measures that this student and this student's parents took to report their concern to our local police department," said Estepp. "And I can't say thank you enough to our local police department, to the response of the FBI, the response of the prosecutor's office to act so swiftly so that we are where we are today and not dealing with a very tragic situation."
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to ending violence in America's schools, announced on Thursday that Boom will receive its National Student Hero Award for his efforts.
"This student who helped extinguish a possible threat to fellow students, represents the reality of how the climate of violence plaguing our nations schools and threatening student lives can come to an end — not through gun control or more safety planning meetings; but rather through alert, caring students such as this young man who refuse to stand by when a potential threat stands against their friends," said Daniel Chapin, founder of the Uvalde Foundation For Kids.
The 14-year-old who was arrested has been charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and is currently being held in a juvenile detention facility.
Watch: Swallen describes his son telling him about the alleged plot in the video below
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