More on the Cabot, Arkansas "Hit Lists" from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Police say students made ‘hit lists’

Papers found with names of classmates, teachers at 2 Cabot schools

BY RACHAEL MYER ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

The prosecuting attorney for Lonoke County said Tuesday that she was reviewing the results of a police investigation into reports of students at Cabot Junior High School North making "hit lists" containing names of classmates.

Prosecuting Attorney Lona McCastlain, the 23rd Judicial District prosecutor, said she wouldn’t decide on whether to file criminal charges before Friday.

Since late last month, Cabot police have examined three such lists, each titled "hit list" at the top, police Sgt. Dwayne Roper said. The first two named students at Cabot Junior High School North, and the third named students and teachers at Cabot Middle School North. McCastlain had received an investigative file on the first two lists and was waiting for a report about the third list, which police said was found May 5.

"Kids need to understand we’re going to take it serious," Roper said. "It’s not a joking matter. They’ve all claimed, after they’ve been caught, it was a joke. It’s not a joke to us. We take it serious." Jim Dalton, assistant superintendent of the Cabot School District, declined to discuss details of the police investigation other than to say, "I can tell you that safety is of utmost important, that all threats are taken seriously, that we expel students that are guilty and file charges."

Dalton added: "My only comment is that when these stories are run in the media, it sensationalizes them and we have more students that try to do this to disrupt school and more kids get in trouble."

He also said school officials had talked with parents who were concerned and reassured them of the steps the district was taking. Phone calls Tuesday to five Cabot School Board members were not returned.

The first list surfaced April 27 when a school bus driver found it in a backpack left on the bus, Roper said. The driver told police he had opened the bag to find out who owned so it could be returned, saw the list and immediately took it to the principal of the junior high school and the school resource officer.

The list contained the names of about 12 boys enrolled at the junior high, Roper said. Police believe two boys, whom Roper said had been in trouble with school officials for having prescription drugs on campus, came up with a list of names of students whom they believed had told authorities about the drugs. The two boys asked another boy to write the list because they had poor handwriting, Roper said.

On April 28, school officials found a second list of names in the girls’ bathroom at the junior high. The list contained the names of about 30 girls enrolled at the school, Roper said. The girl who made the list told authorities she did it because some female students also were responsible for the two boys being caught with drugs, he said.

On May 5, three boys turned in a list containing the names of 14 students and two teachers to the principal of Cabot Middle School North, Roper said. The school principal, Renee Calhoon, conducted handwriting comparisons and determined the identity of three boys responsible, Roper said. She then met with the boys and their parents. "They confessed to doing it just as a joke, as a copycat type of joke," Roper said.

Roper said he also believed the second list, naming the girls, was a copycat of the first list.

This story was published Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Copyright © 2005, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved.