13-YEAR-OLD STUDENT DETAINED AFTER THREAT.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A 13-year-old Hillview Middle School student was detained by sheriff's deputies after students and staff reported he threatened to blow up the school and shoot the principal, officials said.

The seventh-grade special education student, whose name was not released because of his age, made the threats during an outburst in class, officials said. When questioned by deputies, the boy said he didn't remember making the statements.

``It was more something done in anger than anything else,'' said Principal Sherry McPherson. ``Due to the things that have been going on (at other schools), we have to cover all the bases.''

The boy was released to his parents after deputies determined the threat to be baseless, she said. The boy was suspended through next week, when his class starts an intersession vacation.

Officials have not yet decided if any additional action will be taken after the intersession break ends.

The student was in his classroom when he became angered and made the threating comments, officials said. A teaching aide, who was supervising the boy and four other special education students, notified the principal.

Because of the nature of the comments, McPherson followed district policy and contacted authorities.

Deputies questioned the boy, his classmates and the aide. The student has had a history of verbal outbursts, McPherson said, and the others in the class were not frightened by his comments.

``They were students who knew him and knew he gets explosive and angry very easily,'' McPherson said.

School officials said they have never suspended a student for making threats. The Westside School District adopted a strict policy dealing with threats after the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

``We just like to use extra caution,'' McPherson said.