Blazes, bomb threat close School 15 (Patterson, NJ); police suspect Bergen case copycat

[Ian David]

Blazes, bomb threat close School 15; police suspect Bergen case copycat
Thursday, September 27, 2007
By ALEXANDER MacINNES
HERALD NEWS


PATERSON -- A 20-page bomb threat, handwritten on sheets of loose-leaf paper and scattered around School 15, could be the key in determining who set three fires Wednesday morning inside the school.

"Let's just say they're important," said Passaic County Prosecutor James Avigliano of the threats that mostly repeated different times that bombs would be set to explode.

No explosive devices were found after police K-9 units swept through the building, but whoever wrote the notes probably was involved in setting the fires, authorities said.

<snip>

Paterson's School 15, an elementary and junior high school with almost 900 students on Oak Street, was shut down Wednesday morning after a fire alarm sounded at 7:34 a.m. When Paterson firefighters responded, they discovered three fires -- one on both sides of the stage in the auditorium and another one in a basement classroom.

More:
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzNTcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMDA1NjAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz



See also:


Media’s role considered in copycat bomb threat incidents
Thursday, September 27, 2007
By JASON TSAI and MICHAEL J. FEENEY
STAFF WRITERS



What began as a single bomb threat sent by mail to Emerson officials last week has spawned a wave of school evacuations across North Jersey that experts say could continue until authorities make examples of those responsible.

The evacuations continued Wednesday when School 15 in Paterson was shut down after officials found threatening notes and three small fires set inside the school, officials said.

Also Wednesday, a 15-year-old West Milford student was charged with false public alarm after officials learned the student left a note reading "Bomb!" on a desk in one of the high school classrooms, police said.

The two incidents bring the number of bomb scares in North Jersey over the past week to six. And they are raising questions about whether media coverage of the threats could be perpetuating copycat incidents.

More:
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MjAwNDcxJnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==