Police charge juveniles in Sharon school threat

Jun. 10—SHARON — Sharon police have charged two juveniles in last week's threat to Sharon Middle High School.

Sharon police Chief Edward H. Stabile said the juveniles — whose names, ages and genders were not released — were charged in county juvenile court with making terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, harassment and criminal use of a communication facility based on accusations that they made threatening phone calls to the school.

Detective Capt. Mark Hynes said police developed a case against the juveniles through interviews. He said one of the two juveniles was from outside the Sharon area and was not in any position to carry out the threat.

Sharon City School District officials placed all four school buildings on lockdown at about 11:20 a.m. June 1 after receiving threatening phone calls. No one was injured, and police found no weapons at the school.

Superintendent Michael Calla said at the time the incident started began when a parent received a phone call warning that his daughter had been injured in a shooting at the school. The man, who knew his daughter was not injured, reported the call to the school. The district later received a threat call.

Sharon police started searching the middle high school, as Calla put all the district's schools on lockdown. The middle high school is adjacent to Case on the same block of East State Street. The lockdown applied to West Hill and Musser elementary schools, blocks away from the middle high school.

Hynes said police stayed until dismissal time around 3 p.m. to be sure students were gone from school and safe.

Calla said the school and police were prepared for the situation, but about 50 parents showed up at the school, demanding information or the release of their children. Parents said they had received bits and pieces of information via texting from their children or a teacher. In most cases, students are not allowed to use cell phone during school hours.

Calla posted a message on the school district's website around 1:30 p.m. with details of the lockdown.

With parents present, several students talked to The Herald about their ordeal. All of them said they were told there was an emergency and they had to drop to the floor and kneel. The experience lasted around 25 minutes, but one said it felt like 45 minutes.

All said they were scared.

Students said they had lunch in their classrooms, which helped relieve stress.

The district's last day of the school year was June 3.

Follow Melissa Klaric on Twitter and Facebook @HeraldKlaric, email: mklaric@sharonherald.com