Two more arrested for school bomb threats

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
March 6, 2002
Add two more juveniles to the list of students charged with making bomb threats at Meridian public schools.
That's not all. Meridian School Safety Director Sam Thompson said Tuesday more arrests could come in connection with the eight bomb threats this year at Kate Griffin Junior High and Meridian High School.
Thompson, other school district officials and law enforcement officials announced the latest arrests at a new conference Tuesday. The two juveniles were arrested and charged Friday.
The latest arrests came in connection with a bomb threat at Kate Griffin last week. They also came about two weeks after two other juveniles were arrested and charged with bomb threats.
None of the juveniles' names were released.
If convicted, the court will determine the juveniles' sentence based on prior records and whatever the judge believes is best for the minor. Juvenile records are confidential.
Information that led to the arrests of all four juveniles came from CrimeStoppers calls. A $1,000 award was paid to the individual who gave information regarding the first two suspects.
Thompson said an award has not yet been determined by the Lauderdale County CrimeStoppers Board for information that led to Friday's arrests. CrimeStoppers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information.
Meridian School Superintendent Janet McLin said at the news conference that last week's bomb threat was called in to Kate Griffin before 7:30 a.m. Feb. 27.
The school was evacuated and students waited on school buses while the building was checked by fire investigator Vince Vincent and the Meridian Fire Department's bomb sniffing dog Bleck.
Students were back in the school within an hour. McLin praised the dog, saying that "we see a great deal of benefit in Bleck being on the force."
Thompson urged others with information on school bomb threats to call the district's Youth CrimeStoppers phone number at 484-4906.