AMHERST — A student or multiple students, thought to be responsible for setting fires in bathrooms at Amherst Regional High School Thursday, were out of school the day after the incidents, both as a precaution and as an investigation is completed, according to school officials.
“We believe we know who attempted to set the fires based on the evidence we currently have,” reads the letter sent to families, students and faculty from the administration.
The communication notes that a review of multiple videos from surveillance cameras and interviews with students and families have yielded clues to the origin of the fires. Those fires burned towel dispensers and prompted a response from Amherst police officers and firefighters, led to the evacuation of the school and eventual early dismissal of students and canceling of athletic events.
Appreciation is offered in the letter to students and faculty who came forward with information: “Please remember that ‘see something, say something’ is a critical part of everyone’s responsibility here. This situation could have been much worse if not for those who saw a dangerous situation and acted immediately.”
The letter calls out staff members Jim Elliott and Mike Thompson for helping to extinguish the fires, and the students for their cooperation during the emergency.
That the incidents are potentially criminal means that charges could be brought, and other disciplinary measures taken, the letter concludes.
“We want to be clear that the incidents that happened yesterday are a crime. When the investigation is completed, the police department and the school district will take serious disciplinary actions to ensure that the safety of the school is not compromised by the student or students who were involved in this crime.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
