NFA officials: Nothing found after tip that student might be bringing weapon to school
Sep. 19—NORWICH — Students in three buses from Preston were scanned with a metal detector wand and brought to Slater Auditorium upon arrival Thursday morning after school officials received an anonymous tip that a student might be bringing a weapon to school, NFA officials and Norwich police said.
No weapons were found, and school officials said the threat was deemed unfounded.
"While I am relieved to share that this concern was determined to be unfounded and without merit, I want to communicate directly with you about the situation and the process we put in place," NFA Head of School Nathan Quesnel wrote in an email to parents Thursday morning.
Norwich police were called to the school at 6:55 a.m., and Capt. John Perry and seven Norwich police officers joined campus safety officers and School Resource Officer Brianna Santiago in response to the reported threat.
In his letter, Quesnel did not identify the partner district where the buses originated. Norwich police later Thursday morning said it was three buses from Preston.
Quesnel wrote that a student on one of the buses sent a tip to StopIt, the school's anonymous cellphone app that allows students to share information directly with campus safety and administration. The student reported hearing someone on the bus saying that student was bringing a weapon to school.
The campus safety team, school resource officer and Norwich police worked out the plan to usher students from the town buses into the auditorium upon arrival. They were scanned with a metal detector wand, and nothing was found, Quesnel told parents.
"I addressed the students before they were sent to class, and I then followed up with an announcement to the entire school community to update them, as I am doing for you now," Quesnel wrote. "I am grateful for the support of our campus safety officers and our partners at Norwich Police Department for their assistance."
