11-year-old creates hit list at school

An 11-year-old girl is in trouble with the law Thursday night in the City of Tonawanda.

Police say she created a "hit list" on a school computer.  School officials were alerted to the "hit list" by a student, terrified at finding her own name among the targets.

"She noticed the word 'kill' on there several times and she noticed there was a name, 'Killbook' on there," said Tonawanda Police Detective Tim Toth.

Tonawanda Police youth services officer Toth told News 4, the "hit list", entitled "Killbook," was the work of an 11-year-old girl, naming nine students and two teachers and included graphic descriptions of how the girl would hurt them.  The list was made on a school computer.

Detective Toth said, "Kids are venting in a larger venue than what they could have before. Unfortunately, it is the downside of technology."

Detective Toth doesn't believe the girl had any intention of following through with the "Killbook", but her descriptions of how she would carry out the "hits" were graphic and disturbing, singling out one teacher, in particular.

Detective Toth said, "It is hard to determine what sets these kids off at this age. It could have just been she may have been having a difficult time adjusting from the elementary school level to the middle school level, with the teacher."

Tonawanda School officials sent letters home to families last week, and parents News 4 talked to seem satisfied with the action taken.

But the prospects of a hit list in a middle school are frightening.

"I'm glad they took it seriously, because it is a dangerous thing. Going unchecked, you never know what it will lead to," said Tonawanda parent Yvonne Emke.

Middle school parent Dennis Balser said, "You look at your kids' friends, you wonder, is everything good? Wonder what is going on when they are not with you, and even when they are there, you don't know what is going on. It's hard, very hard."

The girl's case is now in Family Court, with a hearing set for Monday. School officials have suspended the 11-year-old for ten weeks, which carries over to next school year.