A Westport, Connecticut high school was dismissed early out of "an abundance of caution" after a student had thoughts to execute a mass shooting, police said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Staples High School was dismissed at 1:15 p.m. after students and staff were asked to shelter in place. Afterschool activities were also canceled.
Police said they received a call from Staples High School officials at 9 a.m. on Tuesday saying a student was overheard making threats that he was going to shoot a teacher.
When police arrived to the school, the teen was being interviewed by administrators. The school officials told police that the student expressed that he had "thoughts" of executing a mass shooting at Staples High School, according to Westport police.
Investigators are looking into whether those thoughts manifested into an actual plan, NBC Connecticut reports. Detectives found firearms at the student's home -- they belong to the student's father and were reportedly locked in a safe, but investigators could not confirm if all firearms were accounted for, police said.
Officers from Connecticut State Police, Norwalk and Fairfield were sent to Westport police with the early dismissal. Officers were placed at all Westport schools out of precaution until dismissal.
The student is in custody and is being evaluated a medical facility. The investigation is ongoing.
In a letter to parents later in the night, Staples President said class would proceed as scheduled on Wednesday and that the school would be providing additional resources and support for students.
He added that he also got text messages from his son who was worried about him during a press conference about the situation.
"The phone was burning a hole in my pocket thinking about what he must be feeling in that moment, so I finally decided to be rude and just text him that everyone was fine, and that I would call soon," D'Amico said. "It made me think about how so many of you as parents must have felt, but also about how our first responders, district and school administrators, teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria staff, and local government leaders put everything aside in that moment to care for your sons and daughters."
He added, "In a moment when we were all tested, it became clear that every adult in the Staples community thinks of our students as more than students--they are all of our kids."
Meanwhile in New Jersey, a wave of copycat threats have overwhelmed schools in recent weeks, including before the Parkland, Florida high school massacre on Valentine's Day.
In Essex County, there have been two scares in Nutley and another in West Caldwell, prompting the prosecutor, Robert Laurino, to anounce Tuesday that threats at schools will not be tolerated.
"I want to be loud and clear that these are not juvenile pranks," he said, noting that it's not unusual to see a spike in similar calls for up to a month following tragedies like the Florida school shooting.
Also Tuesday, a Cedar Grove middle schooler was arrested for making a threat on Instagram after he allegedly made a threat on Instagram, according to sources. The student's parents turned over weapons that were at their home. Laurino would not comment further on that case, saying it's still under investigation.
On Monday, Dumont High School in Bergen County was evacuated by SWAT teams in a frightening scene when police said a student made a shooting threat on social media. A student was handcuffed and escorted from school by police, and he has yet to be readmitted to school, superintendent Emanuele Triggiano said Tuesday.
Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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