Hit list found at middle school

At the end of the school day on Wednesday, Dec. 19, a “hit list” of people to be killed or hurt was discovered on the front cover of a student’s notebook at Creswell Middle School (CMS).
Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Sergeant Scott Denham said the list was found by another student. Upon discovery, the threat was reported to school officials, who then contacted LCSO, Creswell School District Superintendent Todd Hamilton said.
LCSO Sergeant Carrie Carver said the call came into the Sheriff’s Office at 3:32 p.m., and the student who authored the list was contacted by law enforcement and school officials, resulting in an investigation.
“An investigation was conducted, which included contacting the family of the male student,” Carver said. “The school is cooperating with the Sheriff’s Office in the investigation and the families of the students whose names appeared on the list have been contacted, so they are aware of the situation.”
A note to CMS families penned by CMS Principal Shirley Burrus was sent out Thursday, Dec. 20, which said, “We take all safety matters seriously and always encourage anyone with information on any threats to our school safety to tell a trusted adult. Making any threat of violence, even with no intention of follow through is no joke — it is a serious matter.”
This threat comes just weeks after Sergeant Denham gave a presentation to the middle school student body about different forms of threats and how they are handled by police.
On Dec. 5, Denham held an assembly to discuss how threats in different forms are now investigated, how charges are filed and the importance of reporting information students see online that could potentially be dangerous.
The next day, on Dec. 6 a student reportedly made a “hit list in their head,” and word got back to school staff, which then contacted the police, Denham said. The incident on Dec. 6 did not involve a real list, and no names were involved.
Hamilton said that “students with information on any threats to our school safety are encouraged to tell a trusted adult. I’m glad that our students felt comfortable reporting information to trusted adults, whether it’s school officials or law enforcement.”
Principal Burrus said in the letter: “I encourage you to talk with your students about school safety and how essential it is for them to come forward immediately, if they ever have information about a possible threat to campus safety, even if they are not sure it is credible.”