WEST MILFORD On the morning of Thursday, June 14, high school staff and students, who were in the midst of year-end exams, were subjected to an unpleasant surprise when they found a dead deer in the stairwell. The deer had been shot and was lying in a pool of blood with the numbers 07 painted on its carcass. The students charged with what the police have labeled a prank were senior class members James A Baczewski, 18, of 642 Otterhole Rd., West Milford and Kyle R. DeVore, 18, of 9 Spinnler Dr., West Milford. They were charged with disorderly conduct. The N.J. Department of Fish and Wildlife are also looking into the situation, which sparked rumors throughout the community. According to Detective Lieutenant Peter Van Gilst of the West Milford Police, the deer had been hit by a motor vehicle on Macopin Road the day before and, due to its extensive injuries, was shot by the responding officer. The police then called to have the deer removed but before the company responded, the boys picked up the deer and hid it in the woods before dragging it into the school the next morning. Van Gilst told the Messenger he was “absolutely certain” it was the same deer. Superintendent Glenn Kamp suspended the boys, which meant they lost the right to be involved in the graduation ceremonies. He said that Fish and Wildlife were called early on, before they realized the deer had been killed by the police. Since it had clearly been shot, there was originally concern that the students had killed it. It was the second arrest for Baczewski this month, as he had been picked up on drug charges earlier in June. DeVore posted a photo of the carcass in the stairwell on his myspace page on the Internet. The dead deer was one of a series of incidents in the high school last week. There was also sour milk spilled in the hallway and feces smeared in one of the boys’ bathrooms. School Board President Midge Touw was upset that the actions were being labeled pranks. “These pranks are costing us money,” she said.