Threats of violence that surfaced in late September and again this past week at Sabino High School will lead to additional security on campus on Halloween.
Tucson Unified School District safety officers and Pima County Sheriff's Department deputies will be on campus as a precaution, said Abel Morado, assistant superintendent of secondary school leadership, which includes supervision of high schools.
The district and investigators with the Sheriff's Department began an investigation in late September "after a freshman student stated, 'I am going to come to school on Halloween dressed as a serial killer,'" said a letter sent home to parents Monday from Sabino Principal Valerie Payne.
"These rumors include references to a potential shooting on Halloween," states the letter.
Sheriff's Department Capt. Chris Nanos, of the criminal investigations division, said an investigation began after school officials reported the incident on Sept. 28.
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On Oct. 10, a 13-year-old boy was arrested in the case on suspicion of making threats to a public school, Nanos said Monday night. The student was processed through the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center, Nanos said.
The student was suspended for five days, TUSD spokeswoman Cara Rene said Monday night. She said she could not say when the suspension took place or if the student is back in school.
On Oct. 26, school officials alerted the Sheriff's Department "that this young man was looking at a website pertaining to serial killers," said Nanos.
"It is not a crime to look at websites, but it concerns us. We now are working to make sure that mental health officials are plugged into this case.
"Ever since Columbine, our administration took a zero tolerance to threats. We investigate, arrest and work closely with the Pima County Attorney's Office, the Pima County Juvenile Court Center and mental health experts," Nanos said. "We do not want a Columbine incident here."
Nanos said the rumors surfaced when students started telling other students, and then it got to a parent who reported it to the school, 5000 N. Bowes Road, then the Sheriff's Department was called in by school administrators, he said.
Morado said administrators felt the issue was addressed in late September, and that "it was something that could be handled internally."
However, he said, "this past week we received another report. This one involved the same student, and this second threat surfaced to administrators by electronic means." He would not elaborate.
He said administrators worked with law enforcement, school safety officials and the student's family. The letter to parents was sent out to communicate with the Sabino community, Morado said.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@azstarnet.com or 573-4104.
