Grandson of Brian Pillman Honored for Thwarting Attack on Cincinnati High School

Originally posted on SE Scoops | By B.J. Bethel | Last updated 2/12/24

Boom Swallen, the grandson of former WCW and WWF wrestling star Brian Pillman, was noted by law enforcement and prosecutors and will be honored nationally after he helped thwart a planned attack against his school.

Swallen, a 14-year-old student at Mariemont High School near Cincinnati, came across another teen in the school planning an attack on 'students and staff,' according to Cincinnati TV station FOX19. The teen threatened Swallen if he told anyone about the threat.

According to prosecutors, despite being threatened by the suspect if he informed anyone, Swallen contacted his father, Zachary Swallen, who called 911 and alerted school officials.

The 14-year-old suspect was arrested by the Mariemont Police Department. Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said the teen was deep in the stages of planning an attack with help from an adult who was located out of state.

The attack focused on the main school office and several students and staff members.

Heroic Teen Thwarts Credible Threat

Powers praised Swallen's actions in alerting authorities to the attack.

“We believe that this was going to be carried out,” Powers said in a media report to FOX19. “We believed it was a tragedy that was averted because of the bravery of a student and the family doing the right thing. They saw something. They heard something, and they said something.

We believe that had that student not come forward, and nobody discovered the plan that was out there for weeks and being planned by this student of Mariemont, we’d be talking about a tragedy in our community with a lot of lives lost.”

Powers said the FBI has joined the investigation of the incident and law enforcement in Colorado had contacted the adult who is accused of helping plan the attack.

Swallen will be honored by the Uvalde Foundation For Kids, an organization devoted to ending school violence following the Robb Elementary School attack in Uvalde Texas

"The second someone steps in and says something that makes you a hero, that makes an impact on everyone around you and the things that could occur,” said Rebecca Engle of the Uvalde Foundation For Kid's.

According to Boom's father Zachary, his mother is Dani Pillman, the daughter of Brian.

This article first appeared on SE Scoops and was syndicated with permission.

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