FBI AT MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL BOMB THREAT

[Abigail]

Please pray...just heard thru grapevine that FBI handling Bomb threat at my daughter's high school because of repeated incidents over the past few days...I know it's in all probability just a really stupid kid's prank, but still scary what with all the stuff going on in the world today....will keep you updated as I hear more; at least it's obvious that they're taking this VERY seriously.

[BiscuitMaker]

Yes this is very serious and maybe they can get to the bttom of this. Good luck

[HSmom]

Praying for safety and calm.

[ArmyOfFive4God]

Praying here as well.

[Becca_Anne]

I hope they figure out who is making the threats!

[Abigail]

Thanks so much for the prayers; I was able to check her out so she's outta there...she wasn't very happy with what she saw them doing to search...didn't see any searches of lockers, bags, no canine units...this may have been done before school, but still.

Teachers just asked to report "anything unusual" in their rooms...

 

This doesn't instill confidence of a very thorough search, but all this is essentially gossip as of yet...waiting to hear something official from the school, and from parents who were around there when it happened.

 

My daughter said they had assemblies of each grade level and someone in hers asked why they couldn't trace the 911 call...they said "because it costs money!!" She can be a drama queen, so I'm a little skeptical that this is true. Seems that the kids were actually questioning the FBI agent in the assembly as to what was being done...maybe it was some arrogant kid who got on the agent's last nerve...I can SO see that happening.

 

Well, gonna get on the grapevine and get to the bottom of this...too many rumors and fourth-hand accounts at present. Like I said, it's most likely some fool kid who's gonna be in a world of hurt over this prank, but I STILL felt better she's off campus, just in case.

 

 

[PureCajunSunshine]

Originally Posted By: Abigail

Thanks so much for the prayers; I was able to check her out so she's outta there...she wasn't very happy with what she saw them doing to search...didn't see any searches of lockers, bags, no canine units...this may have been done before school, but still.
Teachers just asked to report "anything unusual" in their rooms...

This doesn't instill confidence of a very thorough search...

They oughta at least have a few canines at work!!!

Praying for peace and safety...

(((Abi & Family)))

[Jewlzm]

I didnt see this until now. Thank goodness you got her home safe!

 

Hopefully they can figure out what is going on.

[Abigail]

Thanks; hopefully they'll have found who did this before Monday...heard rumors of arrests, but they're just that, rumors.

 

You know, this gives me some confidence in the local grapevine to relay information of I knew about it via the said grapevine...NO official notifications at all yet or reports of what's been/being done. Since the FBI was involved, I'm hoping it hits the evening news.

[ArmyOfFive4God]

If it doesn't YOU make it hit the news!

[MomM]

I hate this. School should be a sanctuary for our children. A place where they can learn and not be terrified. Do hope they find out who is doing this.

[Abigail]

Update:

 

Can't really verify the rumors of no canines or the comment about it costing money to trace phone calls...I really DO suspect that's the rumor mill run wild.

 

From a parent source, it appears kids were being kept in class while searches performed, I suppose so no one would witness how/where they were searching. Makes sense.

 

Still no emails or phone calls from the school as of yet; it's a big place, so phone calls could take significant time. Also, I checked her out early, so if they sent a note home it's entirely possible I missed it.

 

Heard from a reliable source that they had cops and FBI agents lined up in a huge row during the assemblies. FBI agent spoke; the principal answered questions from the students. I guess this could work in a number of ways; it should certainly get the kids' attention that this is no joking matter, and that it's being taken seriously. It could also freak them out and make them fear the threat was indeed credible. Seems it accomplished both. Although this is a high school, these are still young people who need to feel safe at their school.

 

My daughter seemed fine when picked up...seems since she didn't actually witness anything being done, like searches and dogs, that she had a hard time believing that they were actually doing anything, and this is what upset her the most. I don't suppose the lack of trust in officials to do their jobs is anything unusual these days; she has witnessed numerous "official" failures both in news accounts of various types of crises and up close and personal with Katrina.

 

The thing that got ME the most was the FBI being called in, instead of just local law enforcement. I keep thinking of that thread on here recently where we were discussing accounts of terrorist plots against schools...my mind is too scattered right now to remember which forum it was in...I know, logically, that the chances are high that this is some kid or kids, but having had our area hit with the unthinkable (Katrina) has me a lot more willing to consider extreme possibilities in situations like today. The rumors and lack of official news didn't help, either.

 

Thanks for the prayers, everyone; I was even able to relax enough to take a nap...suppose the fatigue was reaction to the stress.

 

This is "tinfoil hat" of me, but is it crazy to be thinking that they may not even tell us if there WAS something possibly terrorist-related to it...you know, to avoid panic? I know they take these things seriously post Columbine, 911, etc...but I'm equally convinced that we aren't being told about every potential plot that's been stopped. Am I just being a nervous mom, or what?

 

 

 

[Cowgirl]

Abigail, I'm quite sure they don't tell us everything. I'm also pretty cautious about believing what they DO tell us, given the amount of ... disinformation we've been fed from officials in recent years. You are not crazy to be cautious about your daughter's safety. I doubt that Al-Qaeda would call in a bomb threat, though - that does smack more of a kid's prank than a terrorist - terrorists bomb, often with bombs strapped on, and then someone in the organization (who was NOT the suicide bomber, obviously) calls to take credit. So, keep your eyes and ears open, but don't go into full-scale panic.

 

[The MacKinnon]

A long while back (pre Columbine and 9-11) an asst principal friend of mine commented that if he evacuated the school every time there was a bomb threat, we'd be going about once a day. He said there are things administrators are taught to listen for when such threats are called in. We were never evacuated.

 

Here at my new post, we had 3 evacuations the first year I was here (2 years ago). They found the 'perp' - a former student. This year , we had a lockdown (nobody leaves their classroom or wherever they are when it's called which is scary if a kid is in the bathroom)and the dogs were called in, but whether that was for drugs, explosives or weapons, I don't know.

 

Re: your situation, I'm troubled by the lack of communication between the administration and the parents. It's really bad to let the rumor mills go unchecked as it sounds like it has with your situation. Most schools have a procedure in place to deal with serious events like this. The other thing is calling in the FBI and dealing with it in an assembly? That definitely sounds like a fishing expedition designed to scare some student into talking. They wouldn't use an assembly to flush out, say, Al-Qaeda (unless they're maintaining a presence to discourage... what?).

 

I'll check with our campus cop and get his take on it, but I expect you'll have more solid info over the weekend or surely on Monday. If you don't, I'd seriously consider keeping your daughter out until some credible answers are forthcoming. There are too many weird things going on these days.

 

[Abigail]

That's just it MtnMama...the communication thing. What I've now determined is that the kids were told if they called parents on cell phones to pick them up, they would be questioned by the FBI. The person who told me this is pretty credible, IMO. That REALLY rubs me the wrong way. We've had lockdowns before; no one in OR out...seems that wasn't the case here, just that they didn't want kids on cells informing parents what was going on.

 

Now, this could be because they wanted to avoid panic and confusion with numerous kids being checked out, but what they failed to realize was that a parent could reassure and calm their child by talking to them on the phone, even if they couldn't be picked up.

 

The assembly was most definitely to send a message to those who would think of doing such a thing, and as a fishing expedition, as you said. It's just that the FBI being called in at all gave me pause as to whether this could be more than just some kid wanting to get out of class...brings us back to the communication thing, too.

 

The only communication we've received is a posting on the school website. It does NOT mention FBI involvement, although that was indeed the case...the tone of the letter was much too heavy on concerns of disruption of academics, and also alluded to threats of action against students who spread idle conversations and rumors. Parents were urged to talk to their children about this, but NO specific details were given us about what had occurred!!

 

This is coming at a really bad time, with exams approaching soon. This is not a time to be missing school, but this letter did not address ANY specifics as to what has occurred; this just isn't good enough these days...

[Darlene]

I know how you feel, Abi...we've had the same thing here.

 

Who'd have thought that living rural could be so dangerous at times.

[Marine]

anytime explosives are involved the FBI are automatically involved, and the ATF.

 

Whatever else may be going on is anyones guess.

 

The main instrument of control is fear. Think on that....

[PureCajunSunshine]

Originally Posted By: Marine

The main instrument of control is fear. Think on that....

Hence the term terrorism... It works well, and "they" know how to use it. A few strategic incidents can do widespread collateral damage, even in places they've never ocurred.

Look how 911 gripped every heart in the country...and understandably made it easy for some to succumb to fear.

[Marine]

I wasn't referring to terrorists.

 

We know their game.

 

I was referring to our own gov.org....

[Abigail]

Well, the news account gave some more info...threats at both public and christian high schools; 4 kids arrested; multiple threats over the course of the week.

 

The only thing that continues to disturb me is that neither the letter sent to parents and nor the TV news accounts mentions FBI involvement; all "official" commentaries just mention local law enforcement. Yet, people who were there verified an FBI presence.

 

Why on earth omit to mention this fact in the official accounts, whose major thrust was how seriously these threats are taken? You'd think that to mention an FBI involvement would put quite a fine point on the seriousness of the matter. Yet, that rather significant fact was left to the unofficial grapevine. Rather puzzling.

 

No news so far today, so that's good. Hopefully it stays that way. Seems this kind of thing happens year after year...

[twilap]

You've got a right to be concerned and mine and strugglingmom's prayers are with you and your communities children. Strugglingmom has two sons in high school and two days ago someone set off a canister of pepper spray and six children had to be rushed to the hospital with respitory problems. Two other students were the cause of this and it harmed others. Such a shame, what are people thinking about these days?

[Abigail]

Thank you so much; all your prayers have really helped me to remain unaccountably calm throughout this.

 

Yesterday I heard they did a drug sweep...caught a couple of girls. I also heard that the boys who were arrested last week were from very "nice" families with good parents...not "at-risk" kids at all. People were very surprised, but I guess you never know what goes on in families in private, so who knows what motivated these kids to do this? Could be as simple as boredom.

Of course, all my info is coming via the grapevine, although the credible kind of grapevine, if you know what I mean. The school hasn't gone out of its way to inform parents of any specifics.

 

That's awful about the pepper spray; I'll keep that situation in prayer...what was the motivation behind that, I wonder? They actually carried out that threat...ours was all talk, despite the drama it caused.

 

This is my daughter's senior year, so she'll be out of this place soon, thank goodness. However, I have one more in junior high; I'm dreading what the high schools will be like in a few more years; I know it's gotten noticeably worse since my oldest graduated over four years ago.

[Abigail]

ANOTHER threat today; Principal let the kids go early; DD had a "short day" as she's a senior and had already left when this happened.

 

The principal is livid, per the ever-efficient grapevine...I actually heard about this before my DD and she goes to the school!!! Anyway, he's cancelled a "Sadie Hawkins" dance they were going to have this weekend, with more cancellations of extracurriculars promised if the "perps" are not turned in.

 

A friend of mine thinks the way they've handled this so far with the FBI involvement and all has probably spooked the kids so they won't "rat" on the guilty parties...maybe so...

 

Well, these kids are supposed to have exams next week, so I hope they get to the bottom of it before then. Even if they do, it's a terrible distraction, just at the time these kids need to focus.

 

 

[Snowmom]

 

Abigail, I'm so sorry about all of this. I will be that all goes well next week.

 

It seems like there has been so many threats and such in schools as well as malls and just everywhere.

 

From what was said about the mall in NE. the kid just wanted to have his name known and be famous.

 

Again, I do hope things are cleared up so the kids are able to take their exams next week.

 

 

[Leah]

Well, I hope they're happy. They blew it.

If anyone does know anything, they'll be way too scared to say a word now - it would have been scary enough just telling local police let alone the FBI. I know, I had to talk to local police when I was in high school about someone poisoning the water supply - I was scared to death!

 

That may be the way to handle the guilty ones (scare them) but to bring in the FBI and scare the innocent kids, they closed off their cooperation. All they'll want now is for them to go away and leave them alone...

 

I feel for you and your children, Abigail. Wish I had answers for you...