2 teens arraigned after gun, list of names found
Leominster police say father turned in items
LEOMINSTER - Two 16-year-old boys were arraigned yesterday on charges of possessing a handgun after one of their fathers turned in the weapon and a list of names the boys allegedly had drafted, police said.
The father delivered the .357-caliber revolver to local police on Saturday and the list of seven names, mainly of adults at Leominster High School, said Leominster Police Chief Peter Roddy.
He did not call the names, which were handwritten on lined paper, a hit list.
"We haven't gotten to that point," Roddy said. "But we have interviewed all of the people on the list, and we want everyone to know that there's no risk at this time. Whether there was potential risk is still being investigated."
The boys, whose names were not released, were arrested at home Saturday and arraigned in Fitchburg Juvenile Court, each on a single count of unlicensed possession of a firearm.
Roddy said the father later turned in his own .22-caliber hunting rifle, as a precaution. He said the father found the handgun in his son's bedroom.
"If there's any bright side of this story, it's that the parents took action," Roddy said. "They have fully cooperated. I have to give them credit."
He said the teenagers are cooperating with police.
Tim Connolly, a spokesman for the Worcester district attorney's office, said that the boys would remain in custody until their next court date and may face additional charges. He did not know yesterday what date they would next appear.
Police informed school officials after obtaining the list.
Nadine Binkley, superintendent of Leominster public schools, declined to comment on threats to teachers or other school officials. She also declined to say whether the school had previous problems with either student.
"All I can say is that there is a thorough investigation going on by police, and I need to leave it up to police," Binkley said. "I'm confident they are doing a terrific job."
She said she did not question the need to arrest either student.
"If the police felt that this was what they needed to do, I support their efforts," said Binkley, who sent a letter and recorded phone message to parents yesterday, informing them of the arrests.
In another incident, police in Dighton arrested a 14-year-old Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School student Monday on charges he compiled a hit list of 15 youths.
"He had a list of people that he allegedly wanted to shoot," said Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the Bristol district attorney.
Miliote said the list included fellow high school students, as well as some middle school students.
The teenager faces 15 counts of making threats to kill and 15 counts of making threats with serious public alarm, Miliote said. The teenager was being held in a juvenile lockup after arraignment Monday in Taunton Juvenile Court.
A hearing will be held today to determine if he poses a danger or can be released, Miliote said.
Dighton Police Chief Robert MacDonald said police had searched the Rehoboth teenager's home but found no weapons.
He said a friend of the teenager had seen the list of 15 names, which was labeled "hit list," and brought it to the attention of the school principal. MacDonald credited school administrators with doing "a good job reporting this."
"As soon as they found out, they called us right away," he said.
Martin Finucane of the Globe staff contributed to this report. 