First responders and school officials in New England are trying to avoid an incident like the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida from happening here.
On Tuesday, the John Stark Regional High School District closed classes after a students reported a threatening message inscribed on a cafeteria table according to the principal.
The District closed all six of its schools in Weare and Henniker New Hampshire.
"They had time to think about and share it with their friends," said Christopher Cockery, John Stark Regional High School Principal said. "They said you need to tell somebody about this. See something. Say something."
After that threat was discovered and then a rumor of a weapon was reported on one of the districts school buses, John Stark Regional High School District Superintendent Lorraine Tacconi-Moore made the decision to close the school.
"We felt it was necessary to give time to the police to finish their investigation and also to ensure that all students were safe," Tacconi-Moore said.
Since the shooting in Parkland, Florida first responders are seeing a trend. At least eight different juvenile related threats have happened between New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
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It's left school officials redrawing their school safety strategy.
"What are we going to do to make sure our kids are as safe as possible as we go forward?" Cockery said.
Here are the list of places police have responded:
- Somersworth, New Hampshire
- Amherst, New Hampshire
- Exeter, New Hampshire
- Bridgewater, Massachusetts
- Rockland, Massachusetts
- Fall River, Massachusetts
- Cohasset, Massachusetts
Tacconi-Moore said she felt closing the school was the best response.
"When students come to school anxious they're not ready to learn," Tacconi-Moore said.
Police are also taking serious action by arresting people making the threats in cases where they find cause. So far, arrests have been made in Bridgewater, MA, Rockland, MA and Exeter, NH.
Weare Police are asked for the public's help to focus on the real threats and weed out rumors. "To try and get these rumors under control we ask that people not like tag or share rumors that they see on social media," Chief Kelly said.
At 5 pm on Tuesday Weare Police released a press release stating their investigation was complete. They tracked the bus rumor to a Weare Middle School student. They also tracked the high school cafeteria graffiti threat to a John Stark Regional High School student. Police have filed a delinquency report with Goffstown Family Court. School in Weare will resume on Wednesday.
