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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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Security heightened at PL school Police investigate rumors of violence Staff Writer PEQUOT LAKES - School was expected to resume as usual in the Pequot Lakes School District Wednesday but will remain under a heightened level of security after rumors circulated among high school students late Monday about bomb threats, a possible student hit list and talk of a student threatening to shoot up the school on Tuesday.
The alleged threats, circulated widely via student text messages on their cell phones late Monday night, prompted an immediate and nearly all night investigation by the Pequot Lakes Police Department.
While the threats were deemed unfounded and no student hit lists were found, parents and students were greeted at the school Tuesday by members of the Pequot Lakes Police Department and the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department. Only two of the four main entrances were kept unlocked at the school Tuesday and police officers and other school staff were posted at those doors, but school officials said it was not an official school lockdown.
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Law enforcement officials from the Pequot Lakes Police Department and Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department were at Pequot Lakes High School on Tuesday after rumors circulated late Monday night that a high school student was going to shoot up the school. Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed
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Many concerned parents returned to the school Tuesday morning to remove their children from school at both the high school and Eagle View Elementary School, although none of the alleged threats involved the elementary school.
Pequot Lakes Superintendent Rick Linnell said the situation stemmed from an incident that occurred last week. Two high school students were disciplined for making threats and inappropriate comments about threats, including a mention about the Virginia Tech school shootings, last week. Both students and their parents met with school administrators and those students no longer attend the high school and will continue "to be placed in an alternative educational setting," according to Linnell.
However, starting late Monday, students began texting one another about new threats allegedly being made by one of the disciplined students. Pequot Lakes police investigated, interviewing students and their families as late as 2 a.m. Tuesday. No hit lists were found and there is no evidence anywhere of a hit list, including on MySpace.com, said Linnell. Several parents returning to the school to pick up their children Tuesday morning mentioned a hit list.
Linnell said another rumor circulating late Monday was that this student was coming back and shooting up the school on Tuesday. This also was deemed to be an unfounded rumor.
Kyle Stachour said her daughter, Bailey, a PLHS sophomore, received a text message from a friend before 6:45 a.m. Tuesday saying that there was going to be a shootout at the school Tuesday and that she shouldn't go to school. Bailey decided not to go to school because she was scared to go, said her mom. Tuesday also was her 16th birthday.
"I think it's all that text messaging. I think it went overboard," Stachour said Tuesday. "I think they've all worked themselves into a big frenzy. She didn't go to school today and I thought, that's fine. If something does happen, she's safe. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for everybody."
Linnell said all threats that have come up have not been substantiated but there will be an increased presence of security personnel at building entrances Wednesday as well as limited access to the building in order to make families and their children feel safe at school.
"Because of these rumors we wanted students and staff to feel safe," Linnell said of the increased police presence. "It's precautionary, that's what it is. É I'd like to say it could never happen in Pequot Lakes, but it happened in Red Lake, it happened in Rocori, it happened at Columbine. I'm confident we can do the best we can to protect our students in this district."
Linnell said parents who feel uncomfortable with their children in school are invited to pick them up, as many did on Tuesday.
Anyone with questions or information are encouraged to contact any of the following school administrators: Superintendent Rick Linnell, (218) 568-4996; John McDonald, high school principal, (218) 568-9210; Randy Hansen, middle level principal, (218) 568-9357; and Don Lenzen, elementary principal, (218) 562-6100.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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