Children's Lives Threatened, Many Parents Not Informed

BARNSTABLE HIGH SCHOOL – “On 5/25/07 Everyone Dies”  was discovered on a bathroom wall this past Tuesday morning.  Police were called to the school to investigate the spray painted threat.

Two full days later, school administrators and Barnstable Police are not taking any chances.  Today, a notice was finally sent home to most parents of BHS students informing them of the incident. 

At about 1:30 PM, Barnstable High School students were also informed of the threat over the school's PA system.  Today's PA message informed students that their lives have been threatened and that there will be extra security tomorrow (Friday). 

Many parents were not informed of the incident, especially the parents of children with two addresses, those in shared custody situations, those who children did not attent classes today, etc...  Some parents are very concerned with the school's delayed and ineffective communication, especially in light of recent school shootings nationwide. 

The question has been raised as to why school officials chose to wait two full days to inform parents of a threat against their children's lives on school property. 

Lt. Packer informed Hyannis News that Barnstable Police will have officers stationed at and patrolling the school property tonight.  It is also expected they will also have extra officers at the school on Friday.  Lt. Packer went on to comment that police are taking the incident seriously.

Students were told that school would be in session on Friday, but that no backpacks would be allowed, and all students would be subject to search according to an 11^th grader interviewed today by Hyannis News. He said that some students would sit out going to school tomorrow.  

There are some reports that the threat was painted on the wall using silver spray paint- possibly the same paint used to write the numbers "666" and an up-side-down cross on a nearby Baptist Church Tuesday morning... whether the two incidents are related seems likely, but has not yet been confirmed by investigators. 

Gang-type markings were also discovered on other buildings in the area.  Several insignias with both silver and black paint- crowns with a dot above each point and some "scribbling." 

In the gang world the "5-point crown" represents the Latin Kings or the "Almighty Latin King Nation," an extremely violent Hispanic street gang, one of the largest and oldest in the country, they have a large presence on the East Coast and are widely known to use spray painted graffiti to intimidate rivals and mark their territory. 

Hyannis News Editor Rob Bastille has lived with members of the Latin Kings when he was assigned as a teacher on Penikese Island.

The primary colors of the Latin Kings are black and gold.  Black represents death and gold represents life.  Colors, symbols, and hand gestures (a detailed street language called "stacking") make up a underground language essential for gang survival.  The wrong color or gesture in the wrong place can get you killed.

LK gang members have historically been of Hispanic decent, but Portuguese and Italians have been allowed to join.  Both males and females can be members.  The females are called "Latin Queens."

The Latin Kings are one of the hardest gangs to gain intelligence on.  They have been known to murder full members who have inadvertently leaked information.  They are highly organized and have been making their way from the cities into "quiet" communities in Massachusetts during recent years.

Many suspected LK members have been arrested in nearby New Bedford in recent years. 

It is also important to note that Hyannis News has learned that some of the recent violence locally has been attributed to individuals that frequent Hyannis night spots from both the Fall River and New Bedford areas.

A gang like the Lks have been known to terrorize an entire school of "wanna-be" gangsters with subtle graffiti.  Most kids at the High School level have some degree of knowledge about the "secrets" of the Gangster Culture.

The Latin Kings deal mostly in the drug trade, but also have connections selling weapons on the street.  Territories are controlled by fear and intimidation.  They have members that are specially trained assassins and enforcers.  Many members are intelligent and highly disciplined.  Once a Latin King the only way out of the gang is death.

Hyannis News has little doubt that they are represented here locally.  (Based on street observations, and past interviews with gang members doing time...)

Police are still investigating, but Hyannis News does not believe that Tuesday morning's spray painting of insignias on a local small Baptist Church to be random "kid" stuff.