One student remains hospitalized at a Baltimore burn center from injuries suffered in a fire Wednesday in a science lab at Wilson Middle School in Carlisle. Eighth grader Justin Yuen is in fair condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Meanwhile, rumors of a shooting at the high school Thursday proved false.
It’s been a chaotic week for students, teachers and administrators in the Carlisle Area School District. Returning from Thanksgiving vacation on Tuesday, the high school was hit with a false bomb threat. Wednesday the fire at the middle school sent seven students and a teacher to hospitals.
Thursday it was rumored there would be a shooting at the high school.
“Fortunately there was no act of violence,” explained Carlisle Police Chief Steve Margeson. “There were no weapons found or displayed or threats made.”
Officials took seriously the threat Wednesday night that spread far and wide on social media outlets twitter and Facebook. Carlisle police added extra patrols on foot and in cars, with uniformed and plain-clothes cops covering the parking lots and streets.
School police and district administrators were alert as students entered the high school. Margeson said teachers and students arriving at school Thursday morning didn’t appear to have any more concerns or anxiety than any other given day at school.
The chief says there was never any credible threat or verifiable cause for concern. It was all chatter on twitter on Facebook.
“A comment or joke or some kind of statement was made by somebody,” Margeson explained. “It was repeated. It gets transferred. It gets repeated and expanded upon and elaborated and the next thing you know we have a wildfire of a rumor going around."
The chief says the extra precautions were not an overreaction. He believes to do any less would be irresponsible
One anticipated response to the threat was students not attending classes Thursday. The absentee rate at the high school was about fifty percent.
Officials said those would have an excused absence if they bring a note from a parent when returning Friday.
Meanwhile, rumors of a shooting at the high school Thursday proved false.
It’s been a chaotic week for students, teachers and administrators in the Carlisle Area School District. Returning from Thanksgiving vacation on Tuesday, the high school was hit with a false bomb threat. Wednesday the fire at the middle school sent seven students and a teacher to hospitals.
Thursday it was rumored there would be a shooting at the high school.
“Fortunately there was no act of violence,” explained Carlisle Police Chief Steve Margeson. “There were no weapons found or displayed or threats made.”
Officials took seriously the threat Wednesday night that spread far and wide on social media outlets twitter and Facebook. Carlisle police added extra patrols on foot and in cars, with uniformed and plain-clothes cops covering the parking lots and streets.
School police and district administrators were alert as students entered the high school. Margeson said teachers and students arriving at school Thursday morning didn’t appear to have any more concerns or anxiety than any other given day at school.
The chief says there was never any credible threat or verifiable cause for concern. It was all chatter on twitter on Facebook.
“A comment or joke or some kind of statement was made by somebody,” Margeson explained. “It was repeated. It gets transferred. It gets repeated and expanded upon and elaborated and the next thing you know we have a wildfire of a rumor going around."
The chief says the extra precautions were not an overreaction. He believes to do any less would be irresponsible
One anticipated response to the threat was students not attending classes Thursday. The absentee rate at the high school was about fifty percent.
Officials said those would have an excused absence if they bring a note from a parent when returning Friday.