One Charged, One Free in School-Threat Incidents

A 15-year-old boy who allegedly threatened to shoot students at Aliso Niguel High School--prompting nearly 2,000 students to stay home--was charged Tuesday with one felony count of making a terrorist threat.

Also Tuesday, authorities decided not to file charges against a 14-year-old Capistrano Valley High School student who was arrested Monday for allegedly threatening to kill another student. His arrest was not related to the first.

Authorities declined to provide information on the student allegedly involved in the Aliso Niguel incident, although they said he had been charged as a juvenile. The youth, who was arrested at his home Saturday, had been an Aliso Niguel student until a month ago and could receive a three-year sentence if convicted. He is being held at juvenile hall.

Life at Aliso Niguel in Aliso Viejo returned to normal, with only 79 absences recorded. On Monday, 1,970 students stayed out of class as rumors spread that violence would erupt, one week after the deadly school shooting in Santee.

“Half my friends didn’t come to school yesterday,” said Joanna Huh, 16, of Mission Viejo, clutching her black backpack Tuesday. “We were all pretty scared.”

Though the school appeared calm, Aliso Niguel administrators took precautions to ensure safety and relieve the fears of anxious students. A dozen counselors were posted at the school to talk to students, but by early afternoon only one student had sought them out.

According to Steve Doan, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, several law-enforcement officers still patrolled the campus and will remain there for the rest of the week at least.

“We are back to normal,” said Nancy Fox, assistant principal at Aliso Niguel. “I’m relieved that all the students are back and they all seem to feel comfortable. We have a really cohesive community and our kids care about one another. They stick together and they’re not afraid to tell adults when they think there’s a problem.”

Attendance was also at a normal level at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, where the released 14-year-old may be suspended and possibly expelled for the threats he made against a fellow student, according to Capistrano Unified School District Supt. James A. Fleming.

No criminal charges are being filed at this time.

“We gave it back to the police for more investigation,” said Tori Richards, spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office. “We didn’t have enough evidence to file that case.”

School district officials plan to investigate whether action should be taken against the student. “You have to take [threats] seriously,” said Fleming. “If we had to err, we had to err on the side of caution.”