Authorities in Shelby County say a student at the Harlan High School was arrested Thursday for allegedly making terrorist type threats. According to the Harlan Police Department, during an interview with Police, 18-year old Joey Barrell admitted to writing a note, in which he allegedly threatened to shoot “several students” and himself.
Superintendent Bob Broomfield of the Harlan Community School District said officials at the high school became aware of the threat shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday, after a student told officials about the note, but Broomfield says the school never went into “lockdown.”
He says there was never such a situation, as the principal called the student in after learning of the note and the student produced the note. Administrators at the school notified the Harlan Police Department of the threat Thursday afternoon. Both police and Broomfield described the note as general in nature, with no threats against specific students. Broomfield said the student has never before been in serious trouble at the school.
“No, not really, nothing major. I just hope they can get him some help, make life better,” Broomfield says. Barrell was charged with a felony of making terrorist threats and booked into the Shelby County Jail. Harlan Police Chief Frank Clark says it’s very unusual for an incident such as the one reported Thursday.
Clark says they have had some calls over the years of a student getting mad and making a threat, but he can’t remember someone putting something down on paper. Superintendent Broomfield agreed, and said everyone involved handled the situation properly.
Contributed by Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic