More than 20 percent of Liberty High School?s students elected to stay home from school on June 6, 2006 ? a date some believe represents the symbol of evil.
Maryland State Police positioned four officers at the Eldersburg school Tuesday after rumors of Columbine-style killings passed through the school?s community during the past three weeks.
But the school saw no incidents Tuesday.
“It?s been very calm and very quiet,” said Liberty Principal Florence Oliver, who said school officials recently suspended one student for 10 days for saying he was going to bring a gun to school June 6. “We are very thankful to the state police and the Sheriff?s Office for their work today.”
While standing near the entrance of the school Tuesday morning, Carroll County Superintendent Charles Ecker said school officials took every rumor of violence “seriously” and asked state and local police to post officers at county schools Tuesday.
Oliver said she allowed any students concerned about the incident to stay home. A normal absentee rate at the school is between 3 percent and 7 percent, she said.
Carroll school 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.
Maryland State Police posted between 35 and 40 officers at area high schools, said Sgt. Thornnie Rouse, a state police spokesman.
Stories had been spreading across the country about the date June 6, 2006, marking a day of evil and mass killings.
The number 666 is said to be the number of the Antichrist written of in the biblical book of Revelation. Schools and police across the U.S. have cited rumors about attacks planned for the 6/6/06 date.
“I equate it to Y2K,” Oliver said. “There was a lot of concern and a lot of buildup, but it turned out to be a lot better than people thought.”
