Posted on 12/24/2014 3:00:33 AM PST by mkleesma
LONDONDERRY — An impromptu visit from a former Londonderry High School student who just got home from boot camp led to a misunderstanding — and a district-wide lockdown on Tuesday afternoon.
Superintendent Nathan Greenberg said the former student showed up unannounced at the high school shortly before noon on Tuesday. Police said staff were immediately concerned, as the student, dressed in military fatigues, signed in to visit with a name unfamiliar to staff.
The situation apparently grew heated when he was asked to leave and was ultimately escorted off the premises.
Greenberg said the young man's sibling attends South Elementary School, giving district officials good reason to believe that's where he might be headed next.
Londonderry Police Det. Chris Olson said that a South School employee later reported hearing "three bangs, as if someone was trying to enter the school."
Police later learned that report was unfounded.
"South School was searched, as were the areas around the school and no one matching the original description was found," he added. "There were no signs of forced entry."
Police declined to identify the young man, who they said was cooperative and wasn't facing any criminal charges.
The former LHS student was later found at a Beech Hill Drive home, after police matched the name given at Londonderry High School with the home's occupants.
He was taken into custody for questioning and later released.
"It was determined that there were no crimes committed and that the subject actually never went to South School," Olson said. "He had gone to the high school to visit, having just gotten home from boot camp."
South School Principal Linda Boyd said officials at the high school called her at noontime on Tuesday informing her that an adult male had showed up at the high school "without authorized reason."
Boyd said the elementary school was immediately placed into modified lockdown, meaning students and teachers were ordered to say in place in their respective classrooms until further notice.
Greenberg, along with School Resource Officer Brad Warriner, assisted at the school, as police temporarily closed off a section of Kendall Pond Road.
Similar precautions were taken at the district's other schools.
"We take the safety of our students very, very seriously and this was done mainly as a precaution," Greenberg said. "Fortunately, we have an outstanding police force that (initiated) our ‘stay in place' protocol successfully."
The lockdown was lifted by about 1:30 p.m., just in time for most classrooms to enjoy some planned pre-holiday festivities.
"Everything seems to be resolved now," Greenberg said shortly after 3:30 p.m.
Boyd said the police kept their eye on things at all of the schools for the remainder of the day.
She said she was proud of the way students, staff and police handled the incident.
"Our students showed that they understood the seriousness of the situation and adjusted gracefully to schedule and activity changes without complaining," she added.
"This was especially hard with the pending holiday celebrations this afternoon."
London Derrieres.
This is why they have thier pants down and thier head up thier a##es, they fear the people who protect them and welcome the meat cleaver jihadists to show and tell
Rampant paranoia.
And in the “Live Free or Die” state, at that.
It says the guy “signed in to visit.” Why didn’t someone ask him at the time whether he was there for a visit or simply to massacre some students. It would have saved people a lot of trouble.
Imagine the horror if the military Commander-in-Chief showed up...
Oh brother.
It's all the pot the 'Free Staters' are smoking.
Remember...these lintheads are the among the first to choose the GOP candidate for President. How about Red Hampshire going LAST for a change?
I wonder, if the visitor had been a muslim wearing muslim attire, would he have been treated similarly?
but same said school will take a school wide field trip to a mosque and pretend to be moslem for a week...they find no fault in that...but look at a soldier who wants to share the joy of being in the military as a threat...makes one question the sanity of those in charge of the school to correctly identify the REAL threat...
Humm???
I am speechless at the stupidity.
But I must say, there are people within the school systems (most of whom are leftists, but obviously not all) who would see a man in fatigues, bloused trousers, squared away fatigue cap, and immediately think “Trouble”.
Most NORMAL people would see this and think “Active Service”.
I remember coming home after boot camp and going to a girl friend’s high school to see her, which is probably what happened here. I guess nowadays you have to consider yourself fortunate if you aren’t maced, tazed and cuffed.
They were all in the safe room, or sheltering in place under their desks.
It’s emotional immaturity. America’s schools are loaded with emotionally immature adults.
Yes. What is an “authorized” reason? For someone who has been in the service and wants to return to visit teachers and school friends and is proud enough of what he is doing to wear his uniform?
I re-read the article, and it made me angrier the second time around. Liberal lunacy.
I don't know how others feel about this, but having our military planning at any time to have a "shelter in place" action be used by members of the armed forces just seems wrong to me. Just plain wrong.
I know why it is there and why it is the SOP, but it seems wrong. And troubling.
Oh it’s Tommy this, and Tommy that, and chuck ‘im out, the brute,
but it’s “Savior of our country!” when the guns begin to shoot...
Actually all too believable since most schools are run by loony leftists.
NH was the place a man was arrested for protesting a dirty book assined to his young child’s class earlier this year:
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