MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – A 14-year-old West High School student has been charged with threatening that a Columbine-style incident would take place at the Manchester school.

The threat came Wednesday night via an Internet instant message, and by the time school opened Thursday morning, police had figured out it wasn’t credible and the youngster, who is from Bedford, had been arrested.

“The threat implied that a serious incident was going to take place at West High School in Manchester on Thursday, April 22. Also advised in the message was that the only safe place at the school would be in the library,” Bedford police said. “Since the threat involved a school in Manchester, the Manchester Police Department was immediately notified and assisted in the case.”

After teachers told their classes about it, students began calling home to tell their parents, and many showed up to take their kids home.

Extra police were on patrol at the school.

Tuesday was the fifth anniversary of the rampage at Columbine High School in Colorado in which two pupils killed 12 classmates and a teacher.

“The discussion centered around the fact that there would be a Columbine-style incident here at West,” said Jan Thompson, West High School principal.

Thompson said the student was acting alone, and that the school was safe.

The case will be heard in Merrimack District Court’s Juvenile Session in the near future.

AP-ES-04-23-04 0822EDT