AP News, June 13th, 2007
Sixteen members of a high school senior class who taped ticking alarm clocks to the walls of their school were charged Tuesday with a fake-bomb felony, state police said.
In what was apparently meant to be a senior prank, the students sneaked into the Hendrick Hudson High School on Sunday night and fixed 20 clocks to the hallway walls with duct tape, setting the alarms to go off together at 9:15 a.m. Monday, after the start of classes, state police senior investigator Bruce Cuccia said.
But the plan was foiled when motion-sensing alarms in the school went off at 11:40 p.m. Sunday, bringing police and eventually bomb-sniffing dogs to the school.
"You can't take anything for granted as far as a particular device," Cuccia said. "It may look innocent and may not be."
No explosives were found, classes were held as usual Monday and senior boys and girls began turning themselves in, Cuccia said.
"It's certainly not funny," he said. "Many of the students realized it was a foolish prank."
Investigator Matthew Manza said that by Tuesday afternoon, 16 students had been charged with placing a false bomb and given summonses for court appearances June 18. The charge carries a maximum punishment of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison upon conviction.
Hendrick Hudson was the site of another prank about eight years ago in which students glued the door locks, Cuccia said. Thousands of dollars in damage was done, he said.
"It's probably more of a sign of the times we live in, but they've got to give a little more thought to the pranks they're trying to place, especially in the schools," Cuccia said.
Daniel McCann, superintendent of the school district in northern Westchester County, said he had not decided on any school punishment for the seniors, who are scheduled to graduate June 22.
