Bomb threats again close three schools in Eugene; police search all locations
Some notes were anti-religious in nature, raising the possibility of hate crime charges <http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/5577788-35/story.csp>http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/5577788-35/story.csp By <mailto:[email protected]>Jack Moran The Register-Guard Published: Jan 10, 2009 08:52AM Three Catholic and Lutheran schools in Eugene canceled classes again on Friday, after each received yet another round of bomb threats. Friday marked the third day this week that Marist High School and O’Hara Catholic School closed their campuses because of the threats. Meanwhile, Life! Lutheran School, located at Grace Lutheran Church at 710 E. 17th Ave., canceled classes for the second consecutive day after receiving a threatening message. Just as they did in response to threats made Tuesday and Thursday, Eugene police searched all three locations Friday without finding any suspicious devices. Some of the threats this week expressed anti-religious sentiments, school officials said. For that reason, FBI investigators are looking into the case to determine if the people responsible could be charged with a federal hate crime. On Tuesday and Thursday, police revealed the nature of the threats. Written messages were discovered Tuesday at both O’Hara, at 715 W. 18th Ave., and Marist, at 1900 Kingsley Road. The two Catholic schools each received a pair of threatening phone calls on Thursday. The threat made Thursday to Life! Lutheran was in the form of a written note. Police declined to offer details of Friday’s threats “because (investigators) are starting to link some of the pieces together,” Eugene police spokeswoman Jenna LaBounty said. Interim Eugene Police Chief Pete Kerns said investigators continue to take the threats seriously, and plan to continue working to identify suspects in the case. “We will persistently follow this investigation until we determine who is responsible,” Kerns said. Police planned to meet Friday afternoon with principals at all three schools targeted by the threats, to develop a security strategy that would allow classes to be held next week, even if additional threats are made. “We hope to create a situation so they can continue the business of educating in their schools,” Kerns said. Kerns joined Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and several members of the local interfaith community at a press conference held to jointly condemn the school threats. “I feel very much solidarity with the Catholic and Lutheran communities as they respond to these acts,” Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankins of Temple Beth Israel in Eugene said. “This is an assault on the peace of our entire community,” The FBI has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of people responsible for the threats. Investigators ask anyone with information to call the Eugene Police Department’s tip line at 682-8888. <*}}}>< <http://astore.amazon.com/halthekin-20>Catholic on Amazon <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage <*}}}>< <*}}}><<http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Kingdom!<*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
