Pupil left note saying he would shoot boy

INVESTIGATIONS are under way into a threat by a schoolboy to ‘shoot dead’ one of his classmates.

The Garda probe has been launched over the incident in a Co. Donegal school.

The Irish Daily Mail understands that a teenage boy left a note in a classroom following a recent exam which stated his intention to ‘shoot dead’ another boy at the school, with whom he has been involved in an ongoing row.

The school in question, Magh Ene College in Bundoran, notified gardaí after the sinister note was found.

While the note was not signed, it was quickly established which boy was making the threat against the named victim.

A Garda spokesman confirmed: ‘Gardaí in Ballyshannon are liaising with school authorities following an incident reported to them on December 5 by a second-level school. Investigations are ongoing.’

It is understood that disciplinary proceedings against the teenage boy are underway at the school. Gardaí are also in the process of arranging to speak to the teenager about the threats made.

Gardaí have since visited the school and spoken to teachers about the threat.

A senior source said it’s not believed to be a ‘very credible’ threat or that this boy was ‘actually going to bring a gun to school to shoot someone… Nonetheless, when a threat like this is made there is an onus on any school to notify gardaí. Gardaí then of course launch an investigation’.

It is understood gardaí believe the note was deliberately left in exam papers in order for it to be found by teaching staff.

To date, there has never been a school shooting in Ireland. However, the senior source added that school gun threats are ‘unfortunately becoming a more common social phenomenon’ in Ireland.

The most recent similar threat occurred just two months ago. A 16-year-old boy who threatened to ‘shoot up’ his school in Balbriggan, north Dublin, sparked an all-night Garda stake-out at his home.

The youth issued the frightening warning online and posted a picture of a gun. The teen’s home was kept under armed Garda surveillance overnight on October 8 after concerned parents phoned gardaí in Balbriggan when he threatened a USstyle mass school shooting.

The teenager made a series of threats on Instagram, including allegedly warning his schoolmates: ‘Don’t come in tomorrow if you have any regard for your life, you’ve been warned... Think I’m joking, you’ll see tomorrow.’

He was arrested by gardaí the next morning at his home in Balbriggan and was late released without charge.

Gardaí later said that a file was being prepared for the Juvenile Diversion Programme, which will decide if the boy should face criminal charges.