After initially avoiding our cameras, a man accused of threatening to “blow up” a DuBois school stopped to tell us he’s “not guilty.”

We have new details on why he says he made the comments.

The senior citizen says he feels people in the school and CYS were “rude” to him and that he never really intended to blow up the school.

Police say last Wednesday, a truancy officer from Community County Services went to the home of Michael Vetter, 65, on N. Church St. in DuBois around 6:45 a.m.

During the visit, the complaint says Vetter stated he wanted to blow up and shoot up the school, and mentioned he could get help from his “Italian friends.”

Last Thursday, the superintendent says the middle school was on “modified lockdown.”

Vetter says he did curse during a visit to the school when school officers mentioned accusations he’d made threats.

“I did say that I wish that the school would blow up. That’s what I said, you know, total frustration,” says Vetter. “…They sent a lot of notes home. I just burned them up. … I was confused, so I asked for help. Don’t ever ask for help from CYS.”

Vetter says he wouldn’t actually do anything to the school, and that he didn’t like how someone at school said he neglected his children.

The superintendent and others were in court, but the judge told Vetter they needed to look for a different public defender and would re-schedule his hearing on the misdemeanor terroristic threats charge.