Suspect Arrested in Effingham for Allegedly Making Terrorist Threats

An Effingham resident has been arrested for allegedly making terrorist threats.

25-year-old Kendrick P. Miller was taken into custody and booked into Effingham County Jail without incident just before 7pm Wednesday.

(KENDRICK P. MILLER)

Effingham City Police received a report at about 2:40pm Wednesday that an individual had made threats to commit acts of violence using a firearm against multiple unidentified persons in the next few weeks. Although no specific targets were mentioned by name, there was concern that the local schools could be locations where the threats would be carried out. Officers with the city Bureau of Patrol looked into the allegations and determined there was enough credible evidence for the department to bring in additional resources, during which time officers stayed in contact with Effingham County State's Attorney Bryan Kibler.

Once Miller was in custody, city Bureau of Criminal Investigations detectives interviewed him, and determined he was the sole person involved, and confirmed he was not part of any organization or group. No weapons were discovered during a search of Miller's residence. Officials do not believe that there is any additional threat to individuals or schools as a result of this incident.

Miller is being held on a Class 1 felony count of falsely making a terrorist threat, punishable by up to four to 15 years in prison. He is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Friday, where bond will be set.

Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker praised the efforts of all involved, saying, "This is hopefully evidence that our country has taken a more proactive posture in identifying and reporting this level of dysfunction before it becomes a crisis. Thank you to our observant citizens and our actively engaged law enforcement officials."

Commending the officers as well as the residents who cooperated with the Police Department, Chief Jeffrey Fuesting stated, “We achieved a positive result to a potentially lethal situation. By working together with concerned citizensin our community, we were able to mitigate this very serious threat, and safely take this individual into custody without anyone, including our school children, suffering injuries. The teamwork displayed by officers, in cooperation with the State’s Attorney’s Office, allowed a swift, positive resolution to what could have been a potentially devastating event or series of events in our city. We train extensively for active killer scenarios, but we are very pleased when we can resolve a situation through information-sharing and collaboration before it ever gets that far.”

If you see it, say it! The Effingham Police Department encourages you to call the police department immediately at 217-347-0774 to report suspicious activity in your neighborhood or business district. Information can be given anonymously by calling the CRIMESTOPPERS Tip Line at 217-347-6583. Anonymous callers can receive up to $1,000 cash rewards.