CLEVELAND — Authorities from multiple agencies are working to gather evidence and information about a suspected act of arson inside East Technical High School in Cleveland Saturday morning, according to the city's fire department.
Lt. Mike Norman of the Cleveland Division of Fire said firefighters responded to a private alarm at the high school at 5:47 a.m. When department personnel arrived they did not hear an alarm sounding but saw smoke inside the school's gymnasium.
The firefighters entered the gym and found a fire on a padded wall and on the hardwood floor underneath a basketball hoop as well as a "small" fire on a tile floor near the gymnasium entrance, Norman said. They were able to quickly extinguish the fires.
While both fires remain under investigation, they are believed to have been "intentionally set," Norman said.
According to Norman, the fires caused about $20,000 in damages. No firefighters were injured, he said.
There's no word on whether authorities have identified a suspect.
Ward 5 Cleveland City Council member Richard Starr, an East Tech alumnus, said in a statement that he learned of the incident via a "concerning call" with Cleveland Metropolitan School District officials. According to Starr, a person shattered a window before setting the fires in the gymnasium. He urged anyone who has any knowledge about who is responsible to contact police.
"It is truly disheartening to learn that someone would break into our beloved school to intentionally set a fire," Starr said. "As an alumnus of East Tech, I feel a deep sense of sorrow and anger over this troubling behavior, which has tarnished the reputation of a place that holds so much significance for many of us."
Starr said the fires came on the day of East Tech's homecoming dance — what should have been a "joyous occasion."
"This event, which embodies school spirit and community pride, has now been overshadowed by the reckless actions of an individual who clearly lacks respect for our educational institutions," Starr said. Such behavior is not only unacceptable, but it also disrupts the experiences of current students who look forward to these traditions."
