Threat scrawled in restroom in 2nd high school in a week

5/1/2005

BOWLING GREEN - Bowling Green police yesterday confirmed that the city's high school on Friday became at least the second in the last week in northwest Ohio to have some graffiti on a restroom wall interpreted as a threat to its student body.

Police said they don't know yet whether the perpetrator at Bowling Green High School might have been copying the actions of someone at Maumee High School.

In the most recent case, a 15-year-old girl at Bowling Green High School was taken by police to the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center shortly after 3 p.m. Friday on a charge of delinquency in connection with inducing panic.

A Bowling Green police spokesman said a threat directed "at the entire student body" was found on a restroom stall Friday morning.

Principal Jeff Dever told police he was notified upon arrival Friday, and that he learned the threat was written sometime Thursday. Police allowed the principal several hours, at his request, to handle the matter internally before turning it over to authorities.

Mr. Dever was not available for comment yesterday.

On Tuesday, about half of Maumee High's student body stayed home because of a vague threat that was found on one of the school's restroom walls.

Maumee school administrators and Maumee police have said that particular graffiti included the words "Maumee High School shooting" and Tuesday's date, next to a drawing of a gun and a reference to a gang called the Bloods.

Because of the graffiti, police posted extra officers on and around the Maumee school campus. No incidents were reported.

Maumee High agreed to excuse any student who chose to stay home on Tuesday because of the graffiti.

The Maumee case remains under investigation.