High schooler accused of making terrorist threat — for allegedly saying math symbol resembled a gun

A Louisiana high school student was finishing up a math problem and drew the square root symbol, authorities told KATC-TV.

Problem was, another student allegedly said the square root symbol looked like a gun — and several other students made similar comments, Allen Parish Sheriff's deputies told the station.

And with that, deputies launched an investigation of a terrorist threat allegation at Oberlin High School on Tuesday afternoon, KATC reported, citing the department's Facebook page.

Investigators said the students' comment "could" sound like a threat when taken out of context, the station added, and that criminal charges won't be filed against the student.

A Facebook comment from the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office about the incident noted that officials "investigated a threat that was reported as a someone planning to bring a gun to school. We did not learn that what [sic] actually happened until we conducted investigation."

What else did law enforcement do?

Detectives also searched the student's home and found no evidence that the student possessed or had immediate access to any type of firearm, KATC reported. And there was no evidence the student had any intent to commit harm to students or faculty, investigators added to the station.

"The student used extremely poor judgment in making the comment, but in light of the actual circumstances, there was clearly no evidence to support criminal charges," the sheriff's office Facebook page said, according to KATC.

The matter was turned over to the Allen Parish School Board for determination of disciplinary action, the station said.

This writer's perspective

Pro tip: If the high school is offering breakfast pastries in the cafeteria, they may want to rethink the menu.

Here's a little absurd walk down memory lane: