Verbal threats made to Clay Middle School

Kenneth Tanner, superintendent of Clay County Schools, said Friday that West Virginia State Police have been asked to investigate a threat to “shoot up the school” in some kind of Columbine (High School)-type scenario after administrators learned that at least two students at Clay Middle School may have been involved in making threats against Clay Middle School.
According to our sources, administrators found out about the verbal threats Tuesday, although the threatened incident at the Clay Middle School was planned for April 20, the same date that the Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado in 1999. “We believe the allegations are a credible threat. We don’t know at this point if it was something that could have been carried out,” the Tanner said.
Clay Middle School was already scheduled to dismiss early Friday at about noon for faculty senate and for teacher training on testing. School officials said there were about 60 more students absent Friday than normally would be expected, and a couple of teachers at the school chose not to be there Friday because they were concerned that perhaps they could be targets.
Additional information was not available at press time.  Please see next week’s Free Press for more information.