High schooler faked his own kidnapping during Zoom class

A Maryland high school student faked his own kidnapping during a Zoom class, causing school staff to call the police.

The 11th grader at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg pulled the stunt Thursday during a virtual honors history lesson, WJLA reported.

When the teenager briefly activated his camera during the class, his teacher saw two people on screen: the student and a man in a black ski mask “waving what appeared to be a gun,” school officials said in a statement.

Alarmed by what seemed to be happening, the teacher alerted administrators, who called the cops and the teen’s family.

Responding officers from the Montgomery County Police Department discovered that the menacing masked “kidnapper” was in fact a friend the student had invited over, and the weapon seen on screen was just an airsoft gun.

Cops decided no crime had been committed, and police spokeswoman Rebecca Innocenti later brushed off the prank, telling Bethesda Magazine, “we had a case of kids being kids.”

However, the school’s principal, Elizabeth Thomas, called the caper a “serious incident” and asked parents to remind their kids about the standards expected during online classes.

“This incident serves as a reminder about the importance of speaking to your child[ren] about appropriate behavior while engaged in virtual learning,” Thomas said.