File Photo
A Forest Hills HS student eventually admitted to scribbling the notes on the desk. He was arrested.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Forest Hills High School administrators last Thursday placed the building on a temporary soft lockdown following the discovery of two potential threats of violence to the student body.
According to school officials and the City Police Department, a message indicating that a student was considering shooting up the school was found scrawled on a desk on Wednesday, March 14—the same day that students across the country walked out of their classrooms for 17 minutes in memory of the 17 people who were gunned down in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting and to call for action against gun violence.
The following day, Thursday, March 15, a new threatening note was discovered on the same desk in the same classroom.
“The NYPD immediately responded and conducted a thorough investigation, which determined the threat to be unfounded,” said Principal Ben Sherman.
An FHHS student eventually copped to penning the messages.
“Although this incident was determined to be a hoax, I commend the faculty and staff at Forest Hills High School for acting according to the guidelines put forth for a situation such as this, as well as the officers from the 112th Precinct for ensuring that everyone inside the school remained safe,” said State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “I am glad to hear that the person responsible for this hoax is in custody, and pranks such as this bring greater penalties than just a slap on the wrist.”
