Cops: Levittown teen threatened to 'shoot up' school

A Levittown teenager was arraigned in First District Court on two felony charges Thursday, four weeks after, police said, he scribbled a threat on the slat of a bench threatening to "shoot up" MacArthur High School.

Anthony LaRosa, 17, of Hub Lane, was arrested early Thursday and arraigned on charges of making a terrorist threat, third-degree criminal mischief, both felonies, as well as making graffiti, a misdemeanor.

Carole Trottere, a spokeswoman for Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice, said LaRosa was being held on $10,000 bail or $5,000 bond despite the prosecution's request of $20,000 bail. LaRosa is due back in court Nov. 22. It was unclear Thursday afternoon if he had posted bail. His attorney, Timothy Aldridge of Levittown, could not be reached for comment.

LaRosa has attended the Levittown school district but it was not clear whether he remains a pupil.

LaRosa's father and uncle were in the courthouse in Hempstead for the proceeding but declined to comment.

Police and prosecutors said LaRosa wrote the words, "I'm going to shoot up MacAurther on Friday 10/15/2010 this is not a joke . . . " on the bleachers of a Town of Hempstead park at Willowood Drive and Sand Hill Road, three-quarters of a mile from the school grounds.

The writing, which included a misspelling of the name of the school, was reported to school officials on Oct. 13, prompting them to scramble to prepare for the worst.

"We took every, and all, precautions to make sure our students were safe," said Darlene Rhatigan, assistant superintendent for Levittown Public Schools. Precautions included inspecting lockers and combing school grounds for suspicious activity.

Citing the school district's privacy policy, she declined to provide information about LaRosa's tenure in the district.

Nassau police spokesman Det. Lt. Kevin Smith said officers in the Eighth Precinct arrested LaRosa after an investigation that included analysis of the scribbling and interviews with witnesses.

"We're very appreciative of the work the police department did in resolving the situation," Rhatigan said.