Bullet, shell casing found at Wissahickon High School prompts early dismissal, police investigation
AMBLER, Pa. - Students from Wissahickon High School were dismissed early Thursday due to a security situation, the school says.
The school’s website, says the district scheduled an early dismissal for all high school students at 1:15 p.m. Thursday to allow police to complete an investigation of the security incident.
According to the Lower Gwynedd Police Department, the high school alerted them of a bullet that was found in a classroom.
Police say neither the Wissahickon High School community nor the community at large were put in immediate danger. The school says all students and staff are safe.
This is an ongoing investigation.
The Wissahickon School District is cooperating with police.
Lynne Blair, Wissahickon High School Principal, released a statement Thursday to parents, guardians and staff regarding the incident.
According to the statement, every student who was in the classroom where the bullet was found was spoken to and their belongings were searched.
Upon the search, no weapons or additional bullets were found on any student, the principal says.
However, it was discovered that another student had a shell-casing in his pocket. This prompted a second investigation, but officials believe the two incidents are unrelated.
"We searched all lockers, classrooms, bathrooms, ceilings, and trashcans. I cannot thank the Lower Gwynedd Police enough; their support and partnership has been second to none. As we worked at the school, the police completed home-visits to multiple families in an effort to collect information we needed to ensure that our students and staff could feel confident returning to school tomorrow." said the letter to parents and faculty. "It is important for me to share that we are very aware of many rumors that are being spread about students who are not involved in this situation whatsoever. Please be mindful about trusting and spreading information. I will not get into each individual rumor because there are too many to address – what I can do is share this factual account of what happened and assure you that there is no threat to any specific student or staff member at WHS."
The principal says extra police personnel will be on the school's campus Friday and next week.
"We also encourage you to speak with your child about the importance of reporting anything unusual or concerning to an adult. Together, we can help maintain the safe, supportive learning environment that our students deserve. Thank you for your continued trust and support," the letter concluded.