A Gorham Middle School eighth-grader who had made references to shooting people was arrested on April 12 on a charge of soliciting to commit murder, police said Wednesday.

Gorham Police Lt. Chris Sanborn declined to release a name or provide many details, but confirmed the student is a 14-year-old Gorham boy. Sanborn said the suspect was removed from the middle school on April 10 and police began an investigation.

Sanborn said the boy was arrested by School Resource Officer Wayne Drown, but Sanborn declined to say where the arrest took place.

Since the arrest, the boy is being held at the Long Creek Youth Center in South Portland. Sanborn said the boy appeared before a judge on April 13.

“I can’t get into more details because it’s an open investigation,” Sanborn said.

Jo Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, would only confirm Wednesday that there is a case pending about the juvenile.

Ted Sharp, Gorham school superintendent, said the boy had made references that he was going to shoot people. Sharp said the student was enamored with what happened at Columbine, Colo. At that town’s high school, two teenage boys on April 20, 1999, killed 12 students and a teacher and wounded 24 others before committing suicide.

The investigation came after three students gave a note they had written to Susie Hanley, assistant principal, about the boy. Sharp said police were called and they considered the threat serious.

Sharp declined to reveal contents of the note. “It had the potential to be a serious issue,” Sharp said.

“We’re proud of the kids who came forward,” he added.

School administrators felt the boy had behavioral problems and had closely monitored him all year, according to Sharp.

He said Hanley had met with the school psychologist and social workers about the boy and then with him before the three students delivered the note.

He said school officials were considering more intensive monitoring of the boy, including a daily search of his backpack and locker. The boy rode the bus to school and they had planned to find another way to take him to school and back home. But Sharp said tighter monitoring never got enacted because police were notified.

Sharp said the Gorham student was not a loner. “This kid wasn’t bullied,” he said.

“The sad thing is,” Sharp added, “this is a 14-year-old person.”