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Portland Public Schools delay dismissal due to non-credible gun threat; 2-hour delay Tuesday

Portland police said the town's high school and middle school building was placed into lockdown after a threat was received through the Say Something App.

PORTLAND, Conn. — Portland Public Schools will be operating on a two-hour delay Tuesday after a non-credible gun threat led to lockdowns at the town's middle school and high school Monday, the superintendent said. Students were held at the schools for about two hours past their normal dismissal time as police investigated.

Charles Britton, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, said "All faculty and staff are asked to report one hour after their usual start time."

The Portland Police Department said they responded at 12:15 p.m. Monday to a threat involving a student with a gun at the Portland High School and Middle School building.

According to the Portland Police Department, the tip was made through the online Say Something App that claimed a seventh-grader at Portland Middle School had a gun and "was going to shoot people."

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Police said the school placed the high school and middle school building into lockdown as other schools were put into shelter-in-place. Multiple agencies assisted Portland police during the investigation, including a Meriden gun detection K-9 unit, Connecticut State Police, Glastonbury police and others.

The K-9 cleared the building and each individual classroom, police said.

During the investigation, a student provided information to police that led to the identity of the student behind the threat, according to police. Investigators learned that the call had been a hoax and that the threat was not credible.

Police said they are working to determine if any other people were involved.

According to Charles Britton, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, the lockdown ended at 4:30 p.m.

Britton said additional counselors will be available Tuesday to help process the incident.

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