Four students in custody after alleged threats

CLEVELAND (AP) - Authorities ordered a high school closed Friday and arrested four students, saying they uncovered an apparent racist plot by students to stage ''violent acts'' there.

Several South High School students admitted planning an attack with guns and explosives, similar to the one carried out by two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., last April, The Plain Dealer reported today.

Mayor Michael R. White Friday afternoon said two guns were confiscated when police carried out four search warrants Thursday night, but no firearms or explosives were found at the school.

White said four students had been arrested and were being held on charges of inciting to violence, false alarm, aggravated menacing and ethnic intimidation, and inducing panic. He called the plot racially motivated and said the suspects were white and the school has a majority black enrollment.

But he wouldn't comment on the report that the plan had been for a Columbine-style attack. And he wouldn't say whether authorities think the guns they found were related to the alleged plot.

One of the four had earlier checked himself into a mental hospital, White said. In addition to the four, seven other students were being questioned, he said.

''We are not playing around,'' White said. ''There is going to be a zero tolerance to any child bringing violence into a school in the Cleveland Municipal School District.''

The parents of a South High student alerted authorities to the alleged plot, White said. The school has 1,500 students.

Dan Bailey, who joined other parents and students outside the school this morning, said police arrested his 14-year-old son, Adam, early Friday and searched the teen-ager's room, taking a computer and some disks.

Bailey said his son had never been in trouble with the school or police, but ''hung out with the wrong crowd.''

''They're trying to compare it to Columbine. It's ridiculous,'' he said.

A girl who said she was suspended told WJW-TV that the students are being misjudged and that the whole thing might have been started by one person as a joke.

''It's making me mad that everyone's saying that this is like another Columbine,'' said the girl, who appeared on camera but would not give her name. ''This has nothing to do with Columbine, it's a completely different thing, ... everyone's just jumping to conclusions.''

The Plain Dealer said some students dressed in black Thursday got the attention of school security officers, and were questioned about the rumored attack and sent home with parents.

At Columbine, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, killed 13 people and wounded 23 others at the school on April 20 before killing themselves.

South High's homecoming game and dance scheduled for Friday night were canceled.

Earlier, White had said some ''documents'' that were found Thursday appear to be evidence of a planned attack. He refused to specify what those documents were. Eleven students at the school face possible disciplinary action, the mayor said.

The Plain Dealer reported that some students gave written statements to police, saying they planned to use guns, to be obtained from a gang, and homemade explosives to kill teachers, administrators and fellow students. It was unclear whether the students already had any weapons, the paper said.

Gail Smith, whose 17-year-old son, Maurice, goes to South High, said she was pleased the school was closed.

''It could have been a real tragedy,'' she said. ''Half the doors were locked and it could have been a real mess.''

As a result of the investigation, security at all 120 schools in the 77,000-student district was being increased today. White said the security measures will continue until Friday.

South High School is to reopen Monday with Cleveland police officers and hand-held metal detectors to scan students before they enter, he said.

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