Largo High, Middle schools locked down by hoax

By JONATHAN ABEL
Published April 18, 2007

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LARGO - The day after the massacre at Virginia Tech University, a student at Largo High School played a bad joke:

He sent a printed threat to Largo Middle School promising a Columbine-style attack.

The threat was received on a printer in a science classroom about 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to Largo Middle School principal Fred Ulrich. The teacher alerted an assistant principal, and the whole school was locked down.

"We didn't want to let our kids out until we were certain that at least that person wasn't around," Ulrich said.

Computer support services were able to trace the printing back to Largo High School, where a 15-year-old boy had hacked into the server. The high school also was locked down, and authorities started looking for the boy, who had already left campus.

When they found him, police determined that he hadn't taken any steps toward planning or implementing an attack.

"This was a hoax on his part," said Largo police Chief Lester Aradi. "There was no credible threat."

Aradi said the boy, whose name was not released, was not arrested. A charge of disrupting a school function has been forwarded to the State Attorney's Office for a possible prosecution.

"If you look around the country," Aradi said, "there are a whole lot of these crazy threats that will probably take place over today and tomorrow."

Added Ulrich: "It's really unnerving."

Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com.