Police, school officials investigate text messages threatening violence at Cicero-North Syracuse High School

Rumor mill cranks and more than 400 students miss school

View full sizeFile photo by C.W. McKeen (2006)A file photo of an Onondaga County sheriff's patrol car outside Cicero-North Syracuse High School on Route 31 in Cicero.

Cicero, NY - About 20 percent of Cicero-North Syracuse High School students did not show up to school today after someone sent a text message over the weekend saying a student was going to bring a weapon to school and shoot people, Superintendent Jerome Melvin said.

State police say the text message was sent to many C-NS students, telling them to stay out of school because one student had a hit list, state police Sgt. Steven Barlow said. "But the student in question had not made any threats or sent any text messages in a threatening manner, and had no capability of carrying out any threats," Barlow said.

"There was never any direct threat; it was rumors of a threat," Barlow said.

The threat - which the district also called a rumor - was also spread via Facebook.

State police went to the boy's home Sunday night. "They found no evidence of any guns, knives, explosives or any hit list," Barlow said.

“At this point, it’s he said she said,” Barlow said. “It’s all high school gossip.”

The boy was not involved in sending the text messages, Barlow said.

Other students' parents had called the state police after learning of the text messages. State troopers interviewed both students and parents, before learning the school district and its school resource officer, who is an Onondaga County sheriff's deputy, already were looking into the text messages, Barlow said.

Melvin said he and C-NS Executive Principal James Froio met with the parents of the student at the center of the text messages and they agreed their son would stay home until the issue is resolved.

A parent told The Post-Standard today that the school is letting students go home if they wish.

The North Syracuse school district has posted a letter sent home to parents today on its website under a link, "Special Announcement!"

The superintendent said about 400 C-NS students are not in school today. Typically about 140 students are absent, Melvin said. C-NS High School has 2,200 students.

"We have to find the person who sent the text message," Melvin said. "The question is who sent the text message and why?"

Anyone with information about who sent the message can call the sheriff's office at (315) 435-3081.

Catie O’Toole can be reached at cotoole@syracuse.com or 470-2134.