Connecticut

Increased Security at Westport Schools After Threat

There is a heavier police presence at Westport schools today, the day after police said a Staples High School student was overheard saying he wanted to shoot his teacher and expressing "thoughts" of executing a mass shooting.

Police searched the school Tuesday, determined there was no immediate threat and added extra security Wednesday as a precaution.

Officials said Tuesday that another student spoke up after allegedly overhearing the comment.

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.

The student was taken into custody and is undergoing a mental health evaluation. Investigators are looking into whether those thoughts manifested into an actual plan.

At the accused student’s home, there were several weapons, including firearms locked in a safe, police said. The weapons belong to the student’s father, but officers could not confirm at the time whether all of the firearms were accounted for.

Police have been working to get inside another home that is out of state, where the child’s father had several other firearms.

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