16 MARCH 22, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Administrator says two threats led to Forest Hills lockdown
Dr. Javier Zelaya is pleased to announce the opening of his
new dermatology office in Maspeth, Queens.
Skinworks Dermatology specializes in general, pediatric &
surgical dermatology. Accepting Medicare and most
commercial insurances.
JAVIER ZELAYA, MD PC
Skinworks Dermatology
Acne, Uneven Skin Tones,
Blemishes, Eczema,
Psoriasis, Hair Loss,
Skin/Nail Infections,
Warts / Mole Removal,
Skin Cancer Screening,
Botox
and Facial Fillers...
OFFICE LOCATIONS:
MASPETH
60-77 Fresh Pond Road,
Maspeth, Queens 11378
Ph. 347-808-6444
Fax 347-824-2929
www.skinworkny.com
PARK SLOPE
254 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, New York 11215
Ph. 718-832- 3313
Fax 718-832-2287
"FREE CONSULTATION
FOR COSMETIC SERVICE"
PRESENT THIS AD AND RECEIVE
$100.00 OFF
ALL COSMETIC
SERVICES GOOD THRU
VALENTINES DAY
CHELSEA, NYC
136 West 17th Street
New York, New York 10011
Ph. 212-807-1866
Fax 212-807-1869
Own A Building?
Check Out Our Rates
FREE INSURANCE QUOTES
Specializing In
Apartment Buildings and Structures in Ridgewood and surrounding areas.
WE HAVE MANY COMPANIES & PROGRAMS. LET US QUOTE YOUR AUTO/LIFE/HOME.
DON’T DELAY- CALL TODAY AND SAVE!
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1949
MOSER GROUP INC.
73-06 Metropolitan Avenue (2nd Floor)Middle Village, NY (Near 73rd Place)
RIDGEWOOD OFFICE PRODUCTS CENTER
“YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS”
DISCOUNTED OFFICE FURNITURE
Y
(1945-2018)
67-16 FRESH POND ROAD (Near M Station) 1-718-386-3266
BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
TWITTER @R_KELLEY6
In response to the shooting threat
that sent Forest Hills High School
into a lockdown on March 15, the
administration held an impromptu
meeting that evening to fully explain
the situation to parents, and revealed
that two threats were actually received.
The fi rst was received the previous
day, when one-third of the student
body participated in the National
Walkout Day in support of the 17
shooting victims at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland,
Florida.
Principal Ben Sherman explained
to the crowd of about 100 people at the
meeting that a note scribbled onto a
desk was discovered on March 14 that
suggested a student was thinking
about shooting up the school. The note
was investigated internally, but the
faculty couldn’t fi gure out who wrote
it or when it had been written, so the
desk was simply removed.
The following day, a new note
appeared in the same classroom on
a new desk in the same handwriting,
Sherman said.
The second note was much more
specifi c. It acknowledged the removal
of the fi rst note and suggested that a
gun was hidden inside a locker in the
locker room, and that’s what prompted
the school to contact the NYPD and
activate the lockdown procedures.
“I take the safety of your children
very seriously,” Sherman said to the
crowd as he explained the timeline.
“My number one concern every day
is that everyone goes home safely at
the end of the day, and aft er we establish
safety, the we can have space for
learning.”
By coincidence, Sherman said, the
NYPD had selected Forest Hills to be
the site of “random scanning” on the
morning of March 15; all the students
had to walk through metal detectors,
and the second note was found later.
Sherman explained that he activated
the building response team and
teachers were told to continue teaching
during the lockdown. The NYPD
began investigating and brought dogs
in to help search the school, Sherman
said, but nothing was found. He added
that 1,000 lockers were searched in
the girls locker room and 700 were
searched in the boys locker room;
police stopped searching once a male
student confessed. The student was
subsequently taken into police custody.
Reportedly, Ishrak Hossain, 16, was
charged with making a terroristic
threat and criminal mischief. As of
Friday, arraignment information was
not available in court records.
According to Sherman, intelligence
from other students led to a number
of suspects, and the student who
confessed had no record of previous
incidents, was on track for graduation
and on track for college. Sherman said
it’s believed that the student did this to
become more popular through Snapchat,
believing other kids would see
it and share it.
Later in the meeting, a parent
spoke up and said that should not
have been accepted as an excuse
to write such a note, and someone
should follow up to make sure that
student receives counseling. Sherman
responded that the student has
been suspended, and is also facing
charges from the NYPD. Sherman
added that he will request that the
student be transferred to another
school, as New York City public
schools are not allowed not to expel
students.
Communication during the lockdown
became one of the main sources
of frustration for the parents at the
meeting. Parents mostly heard about
the incident from their children, who
were allowed by teachers to text and
call them to let them know. Yet, not
having any offi cial information from
the school, the parents didn’t know
how severe the incident was or how
they should react.
It was reported that a message
about the incident had been posted
on the Forest Hills High School
website as it was unfolding, but that
it had been removed later. There is
presently a message about the incident
present on the site again.
In fact, it became clear that very
few people inside the building knew
any of the details when one student
spoke up later in the meeting. She
became emotional as she described
the feeling of being locked inside a
room with a view of the courtyard,
where police vehicles kept pulling up
over and over again.
Still, many parents did commend
Sherman for handling the situation
to the best of his ability, and he urged
parents to help him make the changes
his school needs. At a building with
4,000 students, Sherman said, there
are only nine safety offi cers and not
nearly enough security cameras.
If parents write to the DOE and
express the need for more safety
measures, he said, the school is more
likely to get them.
Robert Pozarycki
contributed to this report.
/www.skinworkny.com
link