CONNECTICUT, USA — Some Connecticut school districts have seen an alarming rate of threats of violence at the start of the new academic year.
On Wednesday, Wethersfield, North Haven and West Haven were added to the list, prompting separate police investigations.
At 6:45 a.m., as kids were heading to the bus stop in Wethersfield, a student saw a post on TikTok identifying Emerson Elementary School as a target. The student shared it around and a grandparent who saw it alerted district officials, who in turn, called police.
“The student who sent it shared it with several students and that started the wildfire,” said Wethersfield Superintendent Michael Emmett. “This actually was a list that was on TikTok that was doctored that determined that the school in question was down in Georgia.”
With Emerson Elementary School in Emerson, Ga., Wethersfield police called them. They were aware of the list and said several juveniles were arrested in connection to the post.
Wethersfield Superintendent Michael Emmett used the district’s parent communication app to provide multiple updates.
“It’s very difficult to deal with a crisis situation when you are dealing with lots of erroneous information,” Emmett said. “I think for us that is why it’s incumbent upon us to make sure we are communicating out as quickly and accurately as we possibly can.”
North Haven police said that school officials notified them at 12:15 p.m. about a shelter-in-place at the town's high school and middle school campus after a "perceived threat of violence."
A witness reported that they overheard a high school student calling a person to come to the school, possibly with a gun, North Haven police said. To ensure student safety, the shelter-in-place was activated until officers could arrive and investigate.
Investigators spoke with multiple witnesses and individuals involved, according to police. Students and staff were later dismissed as the investigation remains ongoing.
At 2:44 p.m., a call was made to West Haven's 911 center, reporting a gun in Savin Rock School and a threat of a shooting, according to Rick Fontana, the town's emergency operations director.
West Haven police immediately responded and locked down the school, Fontana said. A search of the school was done and nothing was found.
After the school was cleared, all students were dismissed, Fontana said.
In an update Thursday, West Haven police said a juvenile was identified as a suspect and is facing charges of falsely reporting an incident in the first degree and breach of peace in the second degree.
The school incidents Wednesday follow a series of Connecticut districts facing threats of violence, usually discovered on social media.
“These kids are addicted to TikTok and all the other ones. I don't even know what they are anymore. There’s no getting away from it,” Parent Gina Angelico said. “My daughter is in the Glastonbury school system and recently there was a boy who was thrown out of school for some terrible racial slurs online.”
The Windsor superintendent recently took full responsibility for a lack of timely communication that left parents in the dark about a lockdown.
In Meriden, a student at Edison Middle School was arrested and charged for a threat via Snapchat.
“It takes you away from the work that you are doing,” Fran Rabinowitz, the head of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, said.
Rabinowitz said that despite the fact that the majority of threats turn out not to be credible, schools should follow up on every one and lean on a collaboration with law enforcement.
“We have our own Sandy Hook so we are not immune to this at all. When there was a threat or bomb scare of whatever I met with the police chief immediately and they took over. I followed their protocols," Rabinowitz said.
The Wethersfield school district routinely conducts threat training and there are also school resource officers at the middle and high school. The elementary schools have been updated with secure doors and windows but the superintendent said those buildings are old and need to be replaced to be brought up to modern day security standards.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
MORE NEWS:
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.