By Shannon Speirs
A bomb scare at a Kearns junior high school was the third threat of violence to occur in Utah schools this month.
Four ninth-grade boys, all students at Thomas Jefferson Junior High, were arrested Tuesday, Feb. 10, after police discovered an explosive device in the pocket of one of the teens.
'There were three others that assisted in providing components for that device,' said Lt. Todd Rasmussen of the Granite School District police. 'They knew the components that they were providing were for that device.'
School administrators called police after a student told them of a conversation between the suspect and another student in reference to the bomb. The student also informed administrators about an item in the pocket of the suspect.
The suspect was immediately taken to the office and questioned. He was then arrested, along with his three accomplices, and taken to the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center.
Apparently the boy brought the bomb to school in response to an incident that occurred three weeks ago. Another student bumped the suspect in the lunchroom and they 'exchanged glances,' Rasmussen said.
'It was not a fight, it was more of a stand off,' said Dr. Shelly Pierce, the assistant principle at Jefferson. 'I intervened immediately ... there has not been anything between them for the last three weeks.'
The intended use for the bomb is unknown. Alleged plans may have included detonating the bomb at school or using it to harm the other student involved in the confrontation, Rasmussen said.
The students at Jefferson were unaware of the situation as it was taking place because there was no danger to the students. If there had been any threat to the students appropriate action would have been taken, Pierce said.
'One of the things that I know that helped in the safety of my students is the open professionalism by our schools and Granite Police Department,' she said.
Two separate incidents of violent threats have occurred in the Alpine School District.
On Monday, a student at Pleasant Grove Junior High informed the police department of a violent message scribbled on the wall in the girls bathroom.
The message stated that a gun would be brought to school the following day. No specific threats to individuals were mentioned.
After investigation, police arrested three ninth-grade girls for the graffiti.
A similar incident had occurred a week earlier at Mountain Ridge Junior High and the students there had been let out of school early.
The three involved in the Pleasant Grove incident wanted the day off of school, said Capt. Cody Cullimore of the Pleasant Grove Police Department.
'I think these girls thought it was going to be funny, that they would just get out of some school,' Cullimore said. 'Now they''re facing some really tough consequences.'
Although these incidences have promoted violence, there has been no indication that the level of violence in Utah schools has increased.
'I don''t think the violence increased anymore this week than it would normally,' Rasmussen said. 'I really don''t see in comparison that it was any different than last week.'