A Barnstable District Court judge ordered the release of an 18‑year‑old accused of plotting a school shooting in Falmouth on a $2,500 bail with electronic monitoring, prompting residents and parents in the Cape Cod community to express outrage and fear.

Ian Fotheringham appeared Tuesday before Judge Kristen A. Stone and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, remain confined to his home except for legal or medical appointments and continue receiving mental‑health treatment. Prosecutors charged him with threatening to use a deadly weapon in a public building after officials said a pattern of alarming behavior prompted his arrest on Sept. 11.

Court documents reviewed by local media and law enforcement accounts state that police found a 3D printer capable of producing firearms in the teen’s home, though no conventional firearms were recovered. Investigators also say images taken from the dark web related to the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, including photos described as showing injured victims, were found on Fotheringham’s phone. Documents indicated he had journaled about shooting at a school and had told mental‑health counselors he wanted to carry out an attack and take his own life so he would be remembered.

The filings allege Fotheringham was seen in a wooded area behind Teaticket Elementary School on Sept. 3, and a teacher reported a man taking photos or video of the building until security approached and the person left. Parents at the hearing said Fotheringham turned and laughed at them after the judge announced the release conditions.

"He doesn't care. He's not afraid of what's going to happen. We're afraid because those are our kids, those are our babies," parent Dianna Wilson told Boston 25 News outside the courthouse. Several parents wore their school color, maroon, to the hearing and later criticized the district's handling of information and security.

Fotheringham’s attorney, Krysten Condon, told the judge that evidence tying him to the Teaticket sighting was mistaken identity. Condon said Fotheringham was at home on the day in question sick with his mother, and that the person reported near the school was taller and had different hair. She also argued there was no proof he had been inside or near the elementary school.

The release order requires Fotheringham to remain on electronic monitoring and to file a separate motion if he or his counsel seeks permission for him to return to school. Prosecutors have charged him with threatening to use a deadly weapon in a public building; the case remains active and further hearings are expected.

The judge’s ruling and the details reported by police intensified criticism of local officials, with some parents calling for accountability from the school district. Falmouth Public Schools Superintendent Lori Duerr told families in an email, obtained by WHDH, that police officers would be stationed at each of the town’s elementary schools for at least the next two weeks.

Community members posted on social media and spoke at meetings about lapses in communication and the emotional strain of deciding whether to send children to school. "This was an opportunity to show us that you're ready to communicate and she dropped the ball big time," parent Amanda McGonicle said to WHDH. Another parent called for the superintendent to apologize or resign.

Local officials have not released detailed timelines of the investigative steps before the Sept. 11 arrest. The district and school officials did not immediately respond to requests for further comment, and police statements said they acted after receiving a report that Fotheringham had expressed a desire to shoot up a school and had been refurbishing firearms in his room.

The case follows earlier concerns reported last year that involved threats against Falmouth High School, according to local reports. Legal advocates note that decisions on bail and pretrial release weigh several factors, including the nature of alleged offenses, the defendant’s ties to the community, risk of flight and public safety.

Fotheringham remains under court supervision. The community awaits additional court proceedings and further information from law enforcement and school officials about security measures and communications to parents as the matter moves through the judicial process.