Three boys charged in rumors of school attack

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 | 11:09 a.m.

Three eighth grade boys have been charged with making terrorist threats because they allegedly spread a rumor that a shooting would occur at Mannion Middle School today, Henderson Police said.

The boys, two 14-year-olds and one 15-year-old, were charged with conveying false information concerning acts of terrorism, a category B felony. All three boys were arrested and booked into Clark County Juvenile Center earlier today, a police spokesman said.

About 30 parents called 911 Tuesday evening and reported that their children had told them of the spreading rumor, police said.

Detectives were able to identify one of the boys believed to be the sources of the rumor and interviewed him, police said. The boy said he and two other boys fabricated the story in the hopes that classes would be canceled, police said.

Darnell Couthen, spokesman for Clark County School District Police, said authorities are sharing information regarding the investigation and the arrests.

"We take these types of situations very serious, all the agencies do," Couthen said. "In this case it appears the threats were purely a hoax but the intent was to cause pandemonium on the campus."

Adults convicted of making terrorist threats face one to six years behind bars, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said. For juveniles the crime may be classified as "an act of delinquency" and punishments range from probation to confinement, Roger said.

Mannion Principal David Erbach referred calls to Couthen but said there had been no disruption of the school's normal daily schedule. The school opened in August on East Paradise Hills at Greenway Road.

Edward Goldman, associate superintendent of education services for the district, said the boys will be automatically recommended for expulsion by Mannion administrators.

"At the school level there's zero tolerance," said Goldman, whose office reviews disciplinary actions. "The next step is that we talk to them, find out what they actually did and what they intended to do and then determine whether the expulsion should be upheld."

In addition to the criminal charges, the boys could also face suspension and mandatory transfer to one of the district's alternative education programs. In any case, the students will not be allowed to return to Mannion, Goldman said.

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the Columbine school shootings which left 12 students and one teacher dead in Colorado. While the district did not issue specific directives for heightened security around the date, concerns about possible copycats "are always in the backs of people's minds," Goldman said.

The district is "always mindful" of student safety, regardless of the calendar date, Goldman said.

Henderson Police praised Mannion students for reporting the rumors to their parents, as well as the parents who contacted law enforcement.