2 teens arrested in Guilford High School bomb hoax

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 6:08 AM EST
By Rachael Scarborough King, Register Staff

GUILFORD — The high school was evacuated Tuesday morning after a student discovered a note saying there was a bomb in the school, according to the police department. The note was a hoax, police said.

Two 15-year-old students, who police did not identify because they are minors, were arrested for conspiracy, second-degree breach of peace, second-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree threatening and committing an act of terrorism, police said.

They were referred to Juvenile Court for an appearance at a later date and released to their parents.

A student found the note and reported it to a teacher at about 9:15 Tuesday morning, and police evacuated the building while they investigated. Students returned to class after about 45 minutes, police and Superintendent Thomas Forcella said.

Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Hutchinson said the note was found within the school, but he would not specify where. It indicated that there was a bomb placed in the school Tuesday, according to a statement from the department.

Police investigated the incident and concluded that there was no danger to students, Hutchinson said. They also found information leading them to arrest the two students, although Hutchinson would not say what pointed to the teenagers.

Forcella said that students were outside while the building was evacuated, and the school district had called the bus company to allow students to sit on the buses in the event the evacuation lasted longer.

“We’re always concerned when these kinds of things happen if they were going to be outside for an extended period of time,” he said.

He added that the students will face consequences within the school system in addition to the legal repercussions.

“I don’t think students realize the seriousness of this kind of thing, so we’re going as a school system to pursue it to the fullest extent possible under our policies,” he said.