Police report: “Kill List” inspired by Chris Jericho’s “list”

mynews13.com

A Poinciana (Florida) middle school is downplaying safety concerns after reports of a student who brought a “kill list” to class, though some parents aren’t taking the allegations lightly.

Student at Poinciana school reportedly made ‘kill list’
Parent kept kids out of school day after report
Sheriff’s Office report: List was inspired by WWE’s Chris Jericho

Michelle Spangler’s 14-year-old twins attend Renaissance Charter School at Poinciana and lately, safety has been on her mind.

“I made a decision not to send my kids to school the next day, because I personally did not feel safe,” Spangler said. “I still today do not feel safe.”

The incident was reported to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday, but her twins didn’t return to school until Wednesday.

Spangler was alarmed when she heard one of her kids tell her that a “kid wrote a list, and it includes most of the kids on the football team, and he wants to shoot them,” Spangler said. “And I am like, ‘Oh my God.’ ”

The Sheriff’s Office incident report said deputies contacted the student who created the list and his family. According to the report, the family claims the boy got the idea from watching World Wrestling Entertainment and mimicking pro wrestler Chris Jericho, whose gimmick is that he keeps “The List,” a list of people he dislikes. The family said the boy had no intention of harming anyone.

“A 14-year-old does not just write a list because it’s just a list. We’re not in kindergarten, saying, ‘This kid is not my friend anymore.’ He literally knew what he was doing,” Spangler said.

Although the school would not go into specifics about what happened or whether any disciplinary actions are being taken, they sent out an automated call to parents and guardians saying, “We are conducting a thorough investigation to ensure that proper measures are taken.”

In a statement, a school spokesperson said, “These concerns are all based on rumors, and we are not going to proliferate these rumors any further.”

But Spangler said she thinks the incident is being swept under the rug. “There is a true safety issue here,” she added. “They’re here eight hours of the day, and now I have to go to work and hope and pray nothing is going to happen today.”

A spokesperson for Renaissance Charter at Poinciana recommends any concerned parents speak to the school principal.

(thanks to Dennis Boylan)