A teen is set to return to a Kentucky high school after compiling a "kill list" of his classmates, and parents are outraged over the decision. Last week, the Boone County Board of Education held a meeting with dozens of parents in attendance, calling on the school district to reverse the decision allowing the 14-year-old to share a classroom with their children.
“Whatever help he has gotten, he is still a threat to be in an environment which fostered him to want to do a mass shooting and make a list of our students of Conner Middle School that are now at Conner High School,” Deanne Corbin told NBC affiliate WLWT, adding that her children attend the high school.
The teen will attend Conner High School after being expelled for approximately a year, for making the death threats on social media, Insider reported.
Police said they received reports of the student making death threats and quickly arrested the boy.
When authorities questioned the teen — who has not been publicly identified because of his age — he confessed to making the threats in 2021. He was charged with second-degree terroristic threats. The status of those charges is unknown because as a minor, so his record is sealed, noted Insider.
Several parents say they fear for their children attending the high school after they were named on the list.
“It is unfair to the children, the victims as I call them, that were on this list for him to be in that school whether or not he’s in their classroom, they have to know he’s in their building. They know he walks down the hallway and they have to pass him,” Corbin said.
One parent said it was 'emotionally devastating' after receiving a phone call regarding the decision.
“As a father of a child on the active kill list, my statements will reflect my opinions based on the information I received from Conner High School," said parent Rob Bidleman.
"When I received a call from the principal, it was emotionally devastating. All I could think about was my child in danger when they did nothing wrong," he added.
Another parent sympathized with Principal Andy Wyckoff, whose child was also on the list.
“I don’t think it’s the right decision for the administration,” Karen Wells said, according to WLWT. “I think it puts an unnecessary burden on Mr. Wyckoff with his own son on that list. He has to be impartial every day yet give this kid what he needs. Obviously, this kid needs a community to get behind him to help him, because one day he’s going to be in our society.”
On Monday, Wyckoff said he was unaware of the teen's charges since he's a juvenile and his records are sealed. He also stated that his son would remain a student at Conner High School.
"I am aware that some parents have moved their children to other schools, but I will not move my son," he said, reported WLWT.
Boone County School District Superintendent Matthew L. Turner addressed parents' concerns in a letter following the meeting.
"At last night's school board meeting some concerns were expressed regarding safety at Conner High School," Turner wrote in Friday's letter obtained by WLWT. "We understand and value your concerns."
Turner also assured parents their children would be safe. "The safety of our students and staff is our greatest priority when making district decisions. I can assure you all appropriate safety measures have been taken and are in place. Conner High School remains a safe school," he noted.
So-called 'kill lists' should be taken seriously.
There have been several instances in the US in which "kill lists" were made ahead of mass shootings. The most recent case to make national headlines was the tragic shooting in Buffalo, New York, in 2022.
In May 2022, 18-year-old Payton Gendron walked into a Tops Market in Buffalo, and killed 10 people. Local authorities described the attack as a racially motivated crime, considering 11 of the 13 people shot were Black, multiple reports confirmed at the time.
Gendron had a previous run-in with law enforcement in 2021 after officials from the Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, New York, reported Gendron to authorities after he allegedly planned to carry out a murder-suicide following graduation. Although police looked into the reports, he was released nearly two days after a mental health evaluation.
School officials and several of his former classmates knew Gendron was a troubled young man, yet law enforcement seemingly ignored the signs pointing to him as a potential mass shooter.
