Student Brings Death Note to School, Triggering Police Investigation in the US

Yep… this actually happened in 2026! I was shocked when I came across this story, too. A Death Note notebook prompted a Massachusetts school to call the police after it was discovered in a student’s possession. The incident took place at Chocksett Middle School in Sterling.

Although the student explained that the notebook was inspired by the famous Death Note manga and anime, the situation was taken seriously. Police even interviewed dozens of students to determine whether its contents concealed any real threat.

Death Note Sparks School Investigation

The incident occurred on September 30, 2026, when school staff discovered the notebook. Students had already been dismissed by the time police arrived to investigate.

According to the school, the student explained that the notebook was connected to Death Note, the series created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

For anyone who hasn’t watched it, Death Note is a supernatural notebook that allows its owner to kill someone simply by writing their name on its pages.

In the anime and manga, student Light Yagami discovers the notebook and begins using it to eliminate criminals, while the mysterious detective L tries to uncover the identity of the person behind the deaths.

The problem is that when someone brings a notebook filled with students’ names to school, it stops looking like just another anime reference.

Police Found No Immediate Threat

According to principal Tina Boss, a multidisciplinary school team worked alongside the Sterling Police Department and interviewed dozens of students.

Following the investigation, authorities found no evidence that the notebook had been used to threaten the school or any specific student.

The school also confirmed that the notebook was connected to a television series, describing Death Note as having an inappropriate theme for the school environment.

Police, meanwhile, found no immediate threat and were not seeking criminal charges against the student based on the information available.

Even so, the student ended up receiving a three-day suspension.

Mother Says Her Daughter’s Name Was in the Death Note

However, the investigation did not put everyone’s concerns to rest.

The mother of one student, Jen DiCandia, said her daughter’s name appeared inside the notebook. As far as she’s concerned, it doesn’t matter whether it was a joke, an anime reference, or something created without any intention of causing harm.

The family questioned the student’s return to school, especially since the two students still shared three classes.

DiCandia even hired an attorney and called for the students to be permanently separated at school.

Death Note Has Caused Trouble at Schools Before

Although this might sound like an incredibly specific situation, it’s far from the first time Death Note has caused a scare at a school.

The anime’s central concept has been connected to several real-world incidents across the United States.

• 2024: Staff at I Promise School, a school associated with LeBron James, were left panicking after a teacher discovered a homemade Death Note on a classroom floor.
• 2008: Two 12-year-old students in Alabama were arrested after authorities discovered a Death Note-inspired notebook containing the names of students and school employees. The boys reportedly said it was a joke.
• 2015: A Death Note-inspired list discovered at a New Hampshire high school contained 17 names, raising concerns among parents and prompting a school investigation.

For now, nothing further has happened in this case, but it’s wild to see how Death Note continues to cause chaos in the real world to this day.

via Boston.com