Police step up presence at some schools as precaution


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SALT LAKE CITY — KSL has received multiple calls from people across Utah worried about rumors of threats at public schools Friday.

The Cache School District has closed Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum because a student overheard another say a gun would be brought to school Friday. The district said there will be extra police presence at its other schools.

"When we realized we didn't have enough information, it was an easy call just to say that it's not worth bringing the kids in if we can't guarantee that they will be safe," said Cache County Superintendent, Steve Norton.

Two students were arrested Wednesday at Roosevelt Junior High School after one of them threatened to bring a gun to school and "do what they did in Connecticut," according to Roosevelt Police Lt. Ben Lemmon. The other boy agreed to help his classmate carry out the plan, Lemmon said.

"He said, 'I'll do it. We'll kill everybody,'" the lieutenant said.

The boys, ages 12 and 13, were upset because teachers had halted a game of dodge ball that had gotten too heated, Lemmon said. Teachers overheard the boys' conversation and notified police, who booked the pair into the Split Mountain Youth Detention Center in Vernal.

The boys are expected to be referred to juvenile court on one allegation each of making a terroristic threat, which would be a second-degree felony, if they were adults.

Extra police presence was also at Syracuse High School, Copper Hills and West Jordan high schools on Friday, although no threats have been substantiated. The police presence is regarded as a precaution to help students feel safer.

"We have received hundreds of phone calls of course, but no, there has been no credible threat at all," said Davis County School District representative, Chris Williams. "Syracuse police want to do everything they can to make sure that the public knew that they were keeping the school as safe as possible."

Syracuse High School did suspend five students for their role in a prank, and Davis Schools have been on edge for hundreds of rumors of potential threats and violence this week. The Syracuse students left an old Playstation video game console out in the open, but it turned into a bomb scare. Williams says the district goes tough all offenders, real or potential.

Along with the added police security at Syracuse High School, several police canines and the Hill Air Force swept the building before the students were allowed to go to class. Students were only allowed to enter and exit the building through two doors.

In Moab, one student from Grand County High School wrote on facebook Thursday night that he was planning to bring a gun to school. Police officers were waiting for him when he arrived at school. The student did not have a gun, but officials are taking action.

Contributing: Geoff Liesik and Peter Samore

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