Hit list found
Weapons discovered, death threats made at GHS

Grants Police Lt. Maxine Spidle talks about weapons and a hit list found on the campus of Grants High School during a news conference at the Grants Police Department Tuesday. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Weapons were found at Grants High School Tuesday, along with a note threatening the lives of six high school students and a teacher.

A similar occurrence happened Monday, also with a note, but this note only stated someone was going to be harmed and did not list specific names.

Grants Police have stepped up security at the high school as well as the Grants-Cibola County School District, district officials and police said.

Several officers are now on campus during the school day patrolling and watching for any suspicious behavior.

On Jan. 3, the first day back for teachers, a set of similar weapons were found on campus, but district officials said they thought it might possibly be from a transient that wanted to get rid of the items.

Grants Police Lt. Maxine Spidle said Tuesday afternoon that investigators are following numerous leads in the case and are conducting interviews with anyone who has information of the incidents.

The Tuesday weapons, which included assorted knives, a bat and a BB gun, were found near the science building that is about 100 yards west of the main school building, up a hill.

'Hit' list found
The note threatening to kill the students and the teacher was found in a girls restroom. A source close to the incident who asked not to be identified said all the names on the list were girls.

A letter was sent home Tuesday to all parents of students at the high school detailing the situation, Spidle said.

Spidle said because of the continuing investigation, she could not say whether the notes from Jan. 7 and Jan. 10 had the same handwriting.

She also said she could not say whether the students and the teacher were linked in the same class or not.

"It is up to the parents whether these six students stay at school or not," she said.

All the parents of the students on the list were contacted Tuesday and met with GHS Principal Rick Horacek and Grants police officers and the situation was explained.

Board informed
At the regularly scheduled school board meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Kilino Marquez told the members of the board, and about 30 parents and students in the audience, that the safety of the students and the teacher is paramount to the district.

He said the police have increased security, a comment that 17-year-old GHS senior Courtney Smith verified from her home following the meeting.

During the meeting, she told the board she did not see security at the science building at any time during the day, and that she may not go to school Wednesday.

"Sometimes in school we have to deal with the issues that are happening everyday in society," Marquez told the board.

He said teachers found the note and weapons on the school grounds Saturday when they arrived for a meeting and called police.

"We had a three-to-four hour meeting with the police on what was needed at the high school and we are relying on their expertise. It is an opportunity to review our high school safety plan," he said.

Be aware"We told teachers to be aware of their surroundings, be aware of conversations. This has caused a lot of tension."

"We have tightened the exits to the school, there is one way in and one way out now," he said.

"The concern is that we do not know if this is a kid or kids or an adult and whether it is a prank or the real thing," he said.

"We are treating this as the real thing and have approached this aggressively. We have limited after-school activities and have advised everyone to be cautious at night on campus, but we cannot just stop everything we are doing," he said.

"Our number one priority is everyone's safety out there."

High visibility
Smith said after the meeting that while there was no security visible at the science building, there were at least three different officers in the school every time she walked to classes.

"The teachers were in the hallways more and paying really close attention to what was going on too," she said. "The mood among classmates is split down the middle between thinking it is just a prank and taking it seriously," she said.

"This is a very serious matter. I have no idea if this is for real or not or whether it is someone just trying to get attention," she said. "It could be anyone."

Parental concern
The parent of a student at the school, who asked not to be identified, said something needs to be done.

"I think the school district and the police are doing a good job now, but something should have been done sooner," she said.

"What we don't know is whether it is a hoax or serious," she said.

"I drove through the main gate to the high school parking lot Tuesday and there was no guard there to stop me," she said. "If I can do that anyone can."

During the board meeting school board President Lloyd Felipe said it is a sign of the times.

"I want to take every measure we can to assure the safety of our students," he said.

Board member Mark Thompson asked Marquez if the school district could put information out on CrimeStoppers.

"That is certainly something to do," Marquez replied.

Anyone with information on any of these incidents or anyone involved in these incidents is asked to contact Spidle at Grants Police at (505) 287-4404 or CrimeStoppers at (505) 287-8400. All CrimeStoppers calls are confidential and a reward may be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people involved in these incidents.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197, or e-mail: jimtiffin1@msn.com.