Indiana authorities investigate 'hit list' at elementary school

(Reuters) - Students at a northwestern Indiana elementary school have put some classmates on a "hit list," according to local police who are investigating the incident. The list was part of a letter found by officials at Wadsworth Elementary School in Griffith, Indiana, about 30 miles (50 miles) south of Chicago. "On Friday, March 28, 2014, a 'hit list' of students was discovered in the afternoon," Griffith Superintendent Peter Morikis said in a letter to parents released several days after the letter was discovered. "The students involved in the creation of the list have been removed from school pending the outcome of the investigation." Wadsworth Elementary School has about 310 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, according to its website. Details of the threatening letter were not released, and it was unclear how many students were on the hit list. Citing federal law, the school said it could not disclose the names and ages of the students involved. The Griffith Police Department and the Indiana Department of Child Services were also assisting with the investigation, police said in a statement. "As the investigation continues, both the Griffith Police Department and the Griffith Public Schools have taken cooperative precautions to ensure the safety of our students," the statement said. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Von Ahn)