Today ? June 6, 2006 ? is a day some believe represents the symbol of evil.
But Baltimore County police have no plans to increase police patrols, unlike Carroll County, where rumors of a mass killing at Liberty High School in Eldersburg have resulted in a heightened police presence.
“We?ve taken every rumor, every accusation, every allegation seriously,” said Carroll Superintendent Charles Ecker. “We have our teachers and administrators on the lookout for anything, no matter how trivial.”
BaltimoreCounty officials say they are aware of the threats and will monitor them.
Liberty Principal Florence Oliver said the rumors are baseless, but the school recently suspended a juvenile male student for 10 days for saying he was going to bring a gun to school on June 6.
Oliver said she has allowed any students concerned about the incident to stay home today and already a few parents have said they don?t want their children to attend.
Carroll officials said the specter of the 1999 killings at Columbine High School in Colorado carried out by two outcast students have made them take any rumors of violence among students more seriously.
“[If] somebody says ?I?m going to shoot somebody? 10 years ago, we wouldn?t have thought about it,” Ecker said.
Rumors about the date June 6, 2006, marking a day of evil and mass killings have spread throughout the U.S., according to news reports. The number 666 is said to be the number of the Antichrist written of in the biblical book of Revelation.
“This is not in particular to this school,” Oliver said. “Truly, it?s happening across the country.”
