by Nick Delgado

Guam - In Mangilao, George Washington High School teachers and administrators are on high alert, keeping an eye out for what could be retaliation as a result of Sunday's triple-homicide. The school has been under a Code Red all this week. The high alert status, according to assistant principal for discipline Gaylene Cruz, was related to this past weekend's triple-homicide. "There was a tip that came in indicating that there are relatives of the stabbing victim here at our school, and that they were going to retaliate," she said.

Cruz confirms the students are related to the first stabbing victim, Rex Nanato, and the second, Alferson Muritok. She says the DOE safety administrator was contacted Thursday, and Guam Police and Homeland Security were called to the school. "They helped us supervise and just their presence just knowing GPD on campus as well as Guam homeland the kids kind of settled down. They were more aware and alert that they had them on the campus so that way it kind of restricted what they were intending to do," she added.

School officials found a knife in the courtyard of the campus' A-Wing. Cruz says she also confiscated a knife just last week, and today a chain with a padlock, which she says is a potential weapon. She says they spoke with the students related to the homicide victims, recalling, "We search the facility and do find things that are planted the night before or the day before in preparation for what their intent was. But definitely the chain and padlock we know was tied to one of the victims of the stabbing victim," she said.

"We discussed what consequences are going to come with it and how to be proactive and that we don't want those kinds of things being brought on our campus," she said.

Cruz says it was not only the homicide that happened over the weekend, but the stabbing that happened at JFK High School this week that prompted the high alert for the Mangilao campus.

She says underground fighting, which is what the local gangs in the triple-homicide police say were involved in, is a big problem for the school. She adds parents need to get involved with their children, to ensure they comply with the school system's policies, noting, "If they know anything from the outside come in escort the child in, let us know what's happening because whatever is happening out there is going to be brought our campus. But if we have prior knowledge we are able to provide intervention and stop this non sense from happening on our campus because this is an educational facility the only agenda students should have is to learn."

She says the school will remain on high alert until further notice.