A semblance of normalcy returned to North High this morning as students headed to class a day after about 100 were pulled out because text messages mentioning the possibility of school violence.
Krystal Wickwire, an 18-year-old senior who left early Tuesday, said her mother told her Wednesday might be a better day for the school. Krystal seemed to agree.
"I feel safe. It's a good school."
Krystal said the text messages and subsequent fallout have been distracting. She characterized the situation as "pretty ridiculous" and said it had become "a big problem."
Omaha police on Tuesday announced that they were stepping up their presence in schools.
The police response includes additional officers at some schools and police in cruisers outside, Deputy Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said.
The officers will be visible during the school day and at extracurricular activities, including basketball games, he said.
Luanne Nelson, spokeswoman for the Omaha Public Schools, said five schools would see extra police. Schmaderer declined to specify the schools but confirmed that Omaha Benson, North and Central were among them.
On Wednesday, a single marked cruiser was visible outside North High at the start of the school day. That is customary. The officer sat inside the car. watching students and parents come and go.
No violent incidents have been reported since Tuesday.
Authorities and school officials said it wasn't immediately known if a shooting this morning on the 2400 block of North 33 Avenue was related to recent shootings of a 15- and 19-year-old or the school threats.
Stacy Hunter, father of a North sophomore, said he took his daughter home at midday Tuesday. He was surprised to see several police cruisers at the school.
Hunter said he'd heard rumors that something was supposed to happen at North. There were text messages saying North students should “watch their backs” and “please be careful,” he said.
“Upon seeing those, I thought I made the right choice,” Hunter said, adding a regret: “My daughter needs to be in school and needs to get her education.”
Police said they are investigating whether much of the recent rash of violence is gang-related — and specifically whether the fatal shootings of a 19-year-old on Saturday and a 15-year-old on Monday might be related.
School and police officials have been working together on a plan to deal with the violence. The beefed-up police presence is not a reaction to one recent incident, but a number of them.
“School safety for students and staff is our highest priority,” Schmaderer said.
Several incidents have occurred in recent days.
Last week, a Millard South student was accused of using a stun gun on a school administrator during a fight.
An Omaha North student who told police he was a gang member was charged with trying to bring a shotgun to the school in a duffel bag. He told investigators that he brought the gun for protection against members of rival gangs.
And eight students were arrested after a large fight at Omaha Central, which sprang from tensions stoked at a Central-North basketball game.
This isn't the first time local schools have received extra help from Omaha police, Schmaderer said, but it has been a while.
Nelson said students' text message rumors of lockdowns and potential violence caused concerns Tuesday at North and Benson High Schools. Those rumors also reached into one or two elementary schools, she said.
Police Lt. Darci Tierney said parents should talk to their kids and relay any information through Crime Stoppers or Campus Crime Stoppers by calling 444-STOP (7867) or sending a text message beginning “OPD” with your tip to CRIMES (274637).
Hunter, the North parent, didn't know whether he would send his daughter back today.
He called North an excellent school with great leadership and described the negative attention and concerns “a shame.”
“Kids shouldn't have to worry about this,” he said. “They should just have to worry about school and activities.”
World-Herald staff writers Joe Dejka and Michaela Saunders contributed to this report.
Contact the writer:
444-1279, jason.kuiper@owh.com
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