[S]OUTH BURLINGTON — Police late Friday announced the arrest of an 18-year-old South Burlington High School student in connection with a series of escalating threats at the high school that led to multiple lockdowns and early dismissals.
South Burlington Police, working with the FBI, said they arrested Josiah Leach at his home in South Burlington Friday evening. He was charged with knowingly transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. The threats this week were circulated via email and social media. A Thursday email sent to staff at the high school included a kill list with the names of five teachers and 11 students.
On Friday a video emerged on Facebook repeating the threats against the previously named individuals, and officials said that video was emailed to a number of them.
South Burlington Police Chief Trevor Whipple said in a statement Friday night the arrest was the result of work between the FBI, the Vermont State Police, as well as help from Champlain College’s Center for Digital Investigations and other agencies.
“The South Burlington Police Department takes threats, such as those disseminated this week, as an affront to our entire community. The level of anxiety, fear and frustration felt by our residents, students and school staff is unacceptable and will now be addressed by the judicial system,” Whipple said.
The Burlington Free Press reported that Leach is being held at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility and faces a court hearing next week.
In court papers, the FBI laid out how they were led to Leach.
Superintendent David Young said he decided to cancel school districtwide because many staff and families at the high school have responsibilities or relatives in the other district schools.
The district takes its April break next week.
During a Friday news conference, Young and South Burlington Police Chief Trevor Whipple would not speculate whether school would resume as planned the following week. Instead, Whipple said they would continue their “aggressive” investigation. He urged anyone with information to call the police.
The Thursday email and Friday video invoked frustrations over a decision earlier this year by the South Burlington Board of School Commissioners to retire the Rebels name for school athletics.
“THIS COULD’VE BEEN PREVENTED FROM KEEPING THE REBEL NAME. NOW I’m gonna have to attack you all. I don’t care for my own life as long as you’re all dead!!!!!,” the email states in part, according to versions posted online that were confirmed by officials.
Whipple would not speculate on who was responsible for the threats. He also declined to discuss details of the investigation.
Police have received at least 30 tips, Whipple said, and he encouraged the public to continue to reach out to police with “even the smallest little tidbit” of information if they think it might be useful.
Whipple discouraged further sharing of the Facebook video where the threats are issued — which has already circulated widely online — especially portions that named students and staff from the high school.
“Any further sharing of anything of that nature is further harm to the people involved,” Whipple said.
The chief said he met with the family of one of the people whose life was threatened, and said their fear was exacting a heavy toll.
“This is a family that’s afraid to leave their home; afraid of everyone who walks by their house; of every car that drives by,” Whipple said.
The impact of the threats made this week are most acute for the individuals named and their families, Whipple said, but they extend to the entire South Burlington community, where life has been thoroughly disrupted by the fallout, he said.
Tensions were already high in South Burlington after the board chose to do away with the Rebels moniker because of its associations with the Confederacy and American slavery. That prompted a serious backlash from a cohort of residents who argued that the name is disassociated from that historical context.
A Rebel Alliance Facebook group was created to help organize opponents of the name change. The opposition ran two write-in candidates for school board, who were unsuccessful, but it also helped organize opposition that tanked the city’s school budget in two successive votes.
The group has also gathered signatures from five percent of registered voters to place two ballot questions before voters in a special election that would restore the Rebels name and another that would block district money from being spent on changing the name. It’s still unclear whether city officials will bring the questions to a citywide vote.
Last week, someone called in gun and bomb threats to Essex High School, resulting in a heavily armed law enforcement response. Police in Essex have since said they believe the incident to be a hoax or prank designed to elicit a heavy police response.
Chief Whipple said police are investigating whether the Essex threats and those in South Burlington are related, he said.
People with information can contact police any of the following ways:
Recorded telephone tip line: 802-846-4187
Champlain Valley Crime Stoppers: 1-800-427-TIPS (8477)
Anonymous text message: 844-848-8477
Web tips: www.vtips.info
South Burlington Police Department: 802-846-4111
Editor’s Note: This story was updated Saturday at 7:40 am.
