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WANAQUE - Report of student gun scare unfounded
(by Donna Rolando - Managing Editor - October 28, 2008)
WANAQUE - Capt. Thomas Norton said that there would be no charges brought against a Lakeland Regional High School student whose comments Monday were “misconstrued” and wound up causing “panic.”
Borough police spent hours Monday interviewing people to try to determine whether there was any real threat in the report of a student threatening to bring a gun and shoot up the high school.
“We found no credence in it,” said Norton.
Law enforcement learned of the situation from school officials at about 2:30 p.m. and by 5:30 p.m. had ruled out an actual danger, but not before the community filled with concern.
Norton explained that the juvenile whose comment was distorted had climbed onto the roof of the Quick Chek convenience store near Lakeland in order to recover a friend’s hat. While up there, others threw rocks and bottles at him, causing his nose and face to bleed, Norton said.
“He became aggravated and came down from there and tried to find out who did it,” Norton said.
Some students came up to him and apologized, and the injured student remarked to his friend, ‘They’re only being nice to me because they think I’ll come up and shoot up the school.'”
Through their investigation, police determined that the student did not have a gun or access to a gun and that he had no intention to shoot anyone.
Norton said that the comment was seriously distorted and spread through the community.
Police always encourage residents to report potential threats, but in this case, the threat proved to be unfounded.
Meanwhile, police are investigating to find out who threw the rocks and bottles that injured the student and plan to take action against them, Norton said.
| Comments (4) |
On October 29, 2008 said:
Leave the poor kid alone. Let's not debate over who saw what or what happened. Lets grow up, move on, and worry about the more important things facing Lakeland Regional High School and the world.
By no means am I approving of what he said, but what he said was taken out of context. Forget the obsessive rumors you or anyone for that matter has heard. The Lakeland Administration and Wanaque Police Department has ensured the students safety, and now its time to be concerned about the failing education system established in America and ways to get students at Lakeland, and else where, to do there best. |
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On October 29, 2008 A said:
So, you were there and saw what happenend? The police did an investigation and determined that my story was correct. |
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On October 29, 2008 Anonomys. said:
Im sorry, but thats a lie, the "others" as you refer to them, did not start throwing rocks and bottles at him, him and his friends were on the roof goofing around throwing bottles at my friends down on the ground almost hitting them SO, people started throwing rocks back up at him and his friends and he got hit. thats what really happened. |
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On October 29, 2008 A said:
I have known the student that this article is referring to for 7 years and i can tell you that he is no threat to anyone. This kid would not/could not hurt a fly. If you truly know him, you know he is a loving, caring, smart, warm teenager who has very good morals. I know a lot of kids his age, and I can tell you that out of all of them, he is one of the ones that has his head on perfectly straight. He is well-grounded, stays out of trouble, and knows that he wants to do something with his life. He has a wonderful, loving family who have always taught him right from wrong and have been there to guide him along the way. I personally have seen him grow up over the last 7 years to a respectable young man. I am a friend of the family and It hurts me to see the tags that people are putting in him for one mistaken comment that was clearly not meant to harm anyone in any way. I am a mother too, and I trust him 100%. I have left my small children in his care many times and don't ever think twice about their saftey. He is wonderful and loving towards them.
We as parents should think about how we would feel if it was our teenager who said something stupid that was taken out of context and put in this situation and mis-labeled for the rest of their lives. As parents, we should give the benefit of the doubt that we would want bestowed upon our children in the same situation.
Let's give him a break. He was a victim of abuse here by a group of kids that did not like him (don't tell me that anyone did not have kids in HS that did not like them), and he was upset and said something stupid (like teens do). Let's not ruin the rest of his high school years over this. Let's drop it and move on!
Signed,
A friend who cares |
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