By JEFF LIPTON
The student, whose name was not released because he is a minor, allegedly mentioned in the message, which was sent about two weeks ago, that on Feb. 14, ³another Columbine² could occur at the school, according to police. Police and school officials said they could not reveal specific details about the case, such as who the Internet transmission was sent to or how it was discovered. But school officials were notified, and they then called police.
On April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killed 12 students and one teacher before turning their guns on themselves.
The boy who sent the computer message, who is believed to be a freshman at OHS, was suspended for five days by Principal Dorie Ciulla, and a superintendent¹s hearing was scheduled for Feb. 16 to determine whether the student should get a lengthier suspension. The outcome of the hearing was not known as the Herald went to press.
Detectives at the 4th Squad, who handled the initial investigation, turned the case over to the Nassau County Police Department¹s Juvenile Aid Bureau because the student is a minor, according to Detective Lt. Larry Feffer of the 4th Squad.
Detective Lt. John Allen, commander of the NCPD¹s Special Services Squad, which handles cases involving juveniles, said he could not reveal much about the computer message because the case is still under investigation. But Allen said he highly doubts that criminal charges will be filed against the student because of the way the message was worded. He added that the message mentioned that the high school could become ³another Columbine.²
³I see nothing in the computer message that says that he would make it another Columbine,² Allen said. ³At this time I seriously question if any crime has been committed. No charges have been filed, and there may not be any.²
Dr. Herb Brown, superintendent of the Oceanside School District, said he, too, was not at liberty to discuss details of the case. ³Police are involved, and the student has been suspended,² said Brown. ³We are taking the appropriate action, but I can¹t get into specifics of the case.²
One of the rumors making its way around the school was that the message included a ³hit list² of sophomores and juniors, but Brown denied it. ³I saw no hit list at all,² he said. ³I never saw any students targeted.²
Brown said police were called because of the nature of the computer message. ³We are taking every threat very seriously,² he said.
But police officials said that, in general, what school officials perceive to be a threat against the school may not rise to the level of a criminal act in which charges are filed, which is why there may not be any in this case.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
