Crime & Safety

Student Who Made Gun Death Threat Still in School

There was a heavy police presence outside North Hampton School and many parents had their children stay home after one student threatened to kill another with a shotgun.

[Story originally posted at 12:03 p.m. as a follow-up to an earlier report. Updated at 1:31 p.m.]


North Hampton police are investigating allegations that an 11-year-old North Hampton School student threatened to shoot and kill a classmate with a shotgun while on school grounds last week after allegedly telling the classmate he "hated him."

Chief Brian Page said the student who made the threat hasn't been removed from the school.

"As of this morning at 0745 hours on Friday and today the child was going to remain in school, per the decision of the Principal and the Superintendent," wrote Page in an e-mail on Monday. "I am not aware if that decision has changed since." 

Numerous parents contacted Patch Sunday night and Monday morning about the incident, which police said occurred at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 26.

Page said his department, which had a heavy police presence at the school Monday morning, will continue to conduct interviews and speak with witnesses "in order to determine if the department can obtain enough competent evidence to move forward with court action on the allegations," which were first reported to police at 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 27.

"Of course the police department will continue to work with the school to ensure the utmost safety of all the students and staff who view the school as a safe haven, where threats such as this should not ever take place," said Page.

Many parents have expressed to Patch various concerns about the safety and wellbeing of local children due to the incident, and many said they weren't comfortable having their children in school Monday.

The parents of the victim wrote in an e-mail that their child has been the target of bullying from the other student for the past two years. The bullying has included verbal abuse, hitting, kicking, pushing and other forms of physical abuse, in addition to at least one attempt to feed urine-soaked carrots to the victim, according to the victim's parents.

The parents of the victim say they "feel deeply the child and any situation or stress that may be causing" the child's behavior, and the parents say they are coming forward now in order to allow other families "to make safety decisions" — not because they're seeking retribution against the other student. 

"We are not even looking for disciplinary action, we are looking for the school to intervene appropriately and use its resources to help this child in a meaningful way," wrote the parents of the victim.

Police and school administrators were scheduled to meet Monday about the matter. 

NHS Principal Peter Sweet couldn't be reached for comment, but did e-mail parents in response to the incident.

"My first responsibility is to ensure the safety for all students," wrote Sweet in the e-mail, which was sent to Patch by a parent. "With the help of Chief Page, I am confident that this was accomplished on Friday. My role as an educator is to help each child to learn from their mistakes. Please understand, due to confidentiality that is the right of every student and family, I am not at liberty to share specific information about this incident. I hope you know that throughout my career I have always cared deeply about the safety of every student and staff member in our community."




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