Mother frightened after daughter named on 4th grader's 'death list'

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Shelby County Schools is investigating after a mother said her daughter came home from school talking about a "death list."

"She doesn't understand, how could someone want her dead?" Michelle Killough said.

Killough said she fearfully brought her 10-year-old daughter to school at Grahamwood Elementary on Tuesday after another fourth grader put her daughter on a death list.

"A boy that had been harassing her stopped her in the hall and said, 'You're on my death list,'" Killough said.

Killough said teachers found the list in the boy's math notebook Wednesday.

Shelby County Schools officials said they are looking into the incident. Killough said the school officials told her the boy got the idea from a TV show.

She did some research and found the popular cartoon "Death Note" has similar details.

"I was reading about it. They put you on a special notebook, and you die," Killough said.

She said the boy was suspended, but returned to school Monday and continues to harass her daughter in class.

She's now afraid a kid copying TV fiction could lead to her daughter being hurt.

Killough said she's thought about keeping her daughter home from school to protect her—a move school officials said could have consequences.

"I get threatened with, 'Keep her out and you'll be charged with truancy.' I'm only trying to protect my daughter," she said.

Shelby County Schools released the following statement about the situation:

"A Grahamwood Elementary student was recently disciplined for making threatening comments about students and staff members. The safety of students remains our top priority, and we take all threats very seriously. After investigating the matter, staff has determined this student poses no imminent threat to anyone in the school."

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