OPINION: Lake Station mother concerned over teen boy's hit list: 'He wanted to kill five kids, and my daughter was No. 2 on his list'

Dec. 9—A Lake Station mother is upset that her 13-year-old daughter may be in danger after the girl's name was found on a list of students who might be harmed by another student.

"My daughter does not feel safe," the mother told me.

On Dec. 3, a student at Lake Station Edison Junior Senior High School allegedly threatened to harm specific students who were named on a list. He was banned from school property and school officials are seeking charges against the unidentified male student.

"As with any potential harm, administration acted immediately with the assistance of our school resource officer from the Lake Station police department. At no time was anyone in danger at Edison," Principal Christine Pepa told me.

Earlier that week, a 15-year-old student killed four people and injured several more at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit. It's unclear of the incident in Lake Station was a form of a copycat threat or an isolated case.

"It doesn't matter," the mother told me. "My daughter is scared to leave the house, scared to be alone. And the school isn't giving us parents any information."

Pepa said parents of the students who were threatened received this statement: "We were made aware of a student having a list of students he may harm. There was no plan in place or mention of any weapons. The student is no longer attending Edison and is banned from school grounds. Captain Johnson from the Lake Station Police Department is involved with the case as we are seeking charges against the student."

The mother said she heard that the young male suspect had a knife in school that day.

"My daughter knows that boy. She sits directly in front of him in classes. What if he wasn't apprehended that day? Would she have been attacked with a knife?" she asked.

Police said no weapon of any kind was involved.

"No student was in danger at any time, nor were any weapons brought on to school property," said Lake Station Police Chief James Richardson. "The parents of the child (suspect) also stated there are no weapons in the residence."

"We had several people posting on Facebook about this situation, adding statements that were not true, causing a panic among other parents and students," Richardson said.

This isn't surprising. For some adults, Facebook is nothing more than a junior high school bathroom, swirling with baseless rumors and the stench of unfounded gossip. With that said, I understand the concerns of those parents whose children's names were on that boy's list. He may not be allowed on school grounds, but he's free to go anywhere else at this point, the mother contends.

"He could easily find our home address and carry out his threat against my daughter and the other four kids that he threatened to kill," the mother said. "He wanted to kill five kids, and my daughter was No. 2 on that list. She's still terrified."

Pepa said school resource officer David Johnson, a police department captain, became involved with the school's investigation as officials reached out to the parents of the specific students. Richardson said his department has forwarded the charges against the boy to the juvenile division of the Lake County prosecutor's office.

"It will be up to them if charges are accepted," he said.

This isn't enough for the mother, who claims the school is trying to "sweep this case under the rug." School officials do not agree.

"Administration did reach out to the parents of the specific students, speaking to them personally ... and answered any questions they may have had," Pepa said. "As for counseling for this situation, or any situation, we have a guidance counselor as well as a school psychologist on site to address any student or family's emotional needs."

Also, the school district partners with Geminus Community Partners and Regional Mental Health for additional resources for students and families, Pepa added.

It's easy to say that this mother and the other affected parents may be overreacting to this situation. That is, unless it's your child in the crosshairs of potential danger from another student. Last week's fatal school shooting in Michigan again forces parents to be hyper cautious to these incidents. At what point does a troubled student's "list" become another national tragedy? This isn't an indictment against the school or police department. It's the reality of parenting these days. The timing of last week's incidents also plays a role in the concerns of these parents.

"Do I need to get a restraining order against this kid?" asked the mother, who I'm not identifying to protect her daughter's privacy.

Our society's reaction to her response is likely, "Of course not." A restraining order is not needed. This was just an isolated instance of a troubled teenager who scrawled down some students' names on a meaningless list. Right?

Maybe, but ... but ...

What if it was your child's name on that list?

jdavich@post-trib.com

https://www.facebook.com/JerDavich/

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