News | Peachtree City

Shooting rumors fly at McIntosh

Wed, 10/31/2007 - 9:49am
By: John Munford

Police chief: Rumors not credible so far ... School on 'heightened alert' for suspicious activity

Police presence has been stepped up at McIntosh High School in the light of rumors that other students have threatened to carry out a shooting spree at the school.

Peachtree City Police Chief James Murray said Wednesday morning that officers are following up all credible leads on the rumors but so far none of the threat has been substantiated. The gist of the rumors has been that others have said they will follow up and make good on the threats of the two arrested teen girls who said they would shoot up the school and then kill themselves, officials said.

The two suspects were arrested Monday after their postings on MySpace web pages was discovered by a friend who notified her grandmother, who in turn anonymously notified police, officials said.

Schools spokesperson Melinda Berry Driesbach said the school is on heightened alert and teachers and administrators are looking for anything suspicious.

"We will make that school safe," Murray said, noting that some rumors are to be expected because of the nature of the initial threat. Both girls arrested for those threats remain jailed pending their next court hearing.

Murray said there was no evidence in the initial investigation that indicated any people beyond the two arrested suspects were involved in the alleged plot to execute the shooting at McIntosh. If police learn others are involved, they will also face criminal charges, Murray said.

Officials have declined to release the names of the two suspects because they are both juveniles. One attended McIntosh and the other previously attended the county's alternative school and is currently being homeschooled, officials have said.

While those two remain in jail, McIntosh teachers and administrators made their presence felt in the halls Wednesday staying on the lookout for any suspicious activity, Berry-Driesbach said.

Murray said any information about threats to the school should be reported to either the school principal, the board of education office or the police department.

A number of police officers were on hand when students first arrived this morning, and the beat officer for that zone will be walking the campus along with the regular school resource officer all day and probably the rest of the week, Murray said.

Berry-Driesbach said the school system requested the extra police patrols just to be safe, but so far all the information being spread appears to be just rumors.

Murray said with students blogging on the Internet and sending each other text messages on cellphones, rumors about the incident were expected. He cautioned that it is also a crime to maliciously spread a rumor, and anyone found doing so could face charges, he added.

The police department has been flooded with calls about the rumors from concerned parents, Murray said.

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Wow
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:29pm.

These kids are really bored, or they need more attention.

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skyspy,
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:40pm.

How the heck have you been?
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Hey Cyclist
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:44pm.

Hanging in man. How are you?

I have been very busy. I have learned not to answer the phone. They are starting to order us in for OT ouch!! 5 days of that place is enough. I don't need anymore.

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Fat as ever;
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:47pm.

although I've been to the gym. I forgot to ask, are you in the "cab" or in the dark dungeon?
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


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Worse Cy
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:51pm.

I'm in the black mold of Hampton.

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sky,
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:57pm.

That's akin to keeping you in the dark and feeding you...... well know the rest of it. Any movement in getting rid of the mold? One other thing, how do you all deal with the traffic around Hampton during race days?
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


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Cyclist
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:02pm.

Lots of hot air, ...you know the drill.

We leave early, take Birdie Rd. and hope for the best. State patrol could care less that we are trying to get to work.

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Well,
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:07pm.

I got my application in for an ASI job at the local FSDO. The goal is to get another retirement plan working since the airline plan is frozen.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


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Good For You Cy
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:12pm.

I have 8yrs before my "retirement plan" kicks in. Local as in?

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You can still.....
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:17pm.

get vested in the federal plan after 10 year?
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


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Cyclist Dude
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:28pm.

I'm not eligible for at least 8yrs. I'm really afraid they will take away our early retirement because of staffing issues. Keep your fingers crossed for me. If they take away early retirement I would have to stay another 15yrs. ouch.

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Cy and hutch
Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:42pm.

Have a good night. Don't party too much.

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Party?
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 4:46pm.

It's lights out at 2200.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


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More on these "school shooting rumors"
Sniffles's picture
Submitted by Sniffles on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:06pm.

From talking to my kid who attends McIntosh, one of the "best friends" of the McIntosh girl who was arrested yesterday sent a text message to the cell phones of between 5 and 10 McIntosh students, warning them to stay away from the school cafeteria during "C" lunch (McIntosh High divides the lunchroom into 3 time zones, "A" lunch, "B" lunch and "C" lunch). Something was "going to go down". These alerted students supposedly all did the right thing and informed the administrators and then their parents.

From what I heard, "C" lunch was a ghost town in the cafeteria today. The normally packed cafeteria was empty and there was a huge line of students checking out of school immediately prior to "C" lunch.


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Exactly
Submitted by McDonoughDawg on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:15pm.

My Son is in C lunch, and he had lunch at home.

I would like to think it's a Halloween Prank gone terribly bad. Parents need to police what they kids are doing with their phones etc. I know I do.

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How are kids getting these text messages?
Submitted by mcg on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:32pm.

I also have a child at McIntosh who has C lunch. Since I didn't know about the threat, she remained at school. However, since the students are not supposed to be using their cell phones at school during school hours, how are all of these students texting eachother? It certainly is not the most important issue at McIntosh right now, but it does seem that a crackdown on cell phone use needs to occur at McIntosh.

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Didn't you know?
Submitted by JustSayNo on Thu, 11/01/2007 - 11:51am.

I have kids at McIntosh and have for 5 years and will for another 5. They tell me that they all text each other all the time. Under the table, in the bathroom, lunch, etc. They find a way. They use it for cheating by sending out test info. too. My kids said it was all a Halloween joke and people did it because they wanted an excuse to get out of school. If the police truly wanted to they should have already electronically traced whom the messages originated from.

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Agreed...
Submitted by McDonoughDawg on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 3:37pm.

Some had their phones on, and the word got around. My Son didn't get any messages at all, but his phone wasn't on until the word got around and he was allowed to call us.

That's probably coming next (phone use crackdown), I know he talks of other kids who text all the time. I know how many times he texts on his, I can check it very easily, day and time.

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