Threats Force Vt. High School Into Lockdown

For the second day in a row, threats against a Vermont high school forced a police response. 

South Burlington school administrators said several teachers received emailed threats specifying a time when harm would come to the school. 

Police could not say who made the threats, or if they came from someone in the school or from somewhere else. 

Tuesday, the same district said a threat came through a student’s email account that turned out to be hacked. Later in the day Tuesday, the school also received a phone threat. 

Police and educators didn’t want to take any chances, so treated Wednesday’s new threat seriously. The school went into lockdown mode around noon. 

South Burlington High School released students early and canceled after-school activities. 

Late Wednesday afternoon, South Burlington school administrators informed parents that school would be in session on Thursday and that extra-curricular activities would continue as scheduled. Police would be present in a supportive capacity, the announcement to parents said. 

One student called the threats disruptive and annoying. 

“I think it is ridiculous,” student Logan Huisman told necn affiliate NBC 5 News. “I think someone is just bored and they want to try and cancel school for the day or maybe they are just super angry at themselves. I think it is ridiculous and it needs to stop.” 

“We have subpoenas out all over the place to follow these email chains,” Det. Cpl. Ron Bliss of the South Burlington Police Dept. told the news station. “Hopefully we will get an answer that will give us some closure.” 

Last week, police in nearby Essex said another threat that forced schools there into a security posture appeared to be a hoax that also affected schools in other states.