Manchester High School dismissed students early Thursday after the school received two threatening email and all after-school activities and athletics were canceled.
The school was initially placed on lockdown and the principal said seniors who are off campus should remain home.
Dismissal at Manchester High School began at 11:45 a.m., according to a Facebook post from Principal Katelyn Miner.
Students who walk home were told to plan to walk home promptly once dismissed and students who take a bus were to take their bus as usual.
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Supt. Matt Geary said in a statement posted on Facebook that the first e-mail was sent shortly before 9 a.m. and said, “I have a gun and ready to hurt people, plus explosives.”
Then, at 9:42 a.m. a second email arrived repeating this statement but added, “I'll be entering the school at 11:16 AM.”
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After the first e-mail, the decision was made to delay passing time between classes as school administrators contacted district officials and Manchester Police, he said.
As school officials were working on a response plan to address the first e-mail, the second came in and Manchester High School was immediately placed in a lockdown and additional police officers were called to the school, Geary wrote. No one was allowed in or out of the building and students remained in rooms.
Parents and the school community were notified and Geary wrote that they quickly determined they would not be able to clear the high school campus in a safe and orderly fashion by 11:16 a.m. and decided to dismiss at 11:45 a.m.
"This was a hard day for anyone who was present or has a loved one at Manchester High School, Bentley, and Adult Education and support will be available for anyone who needs it tomorrow. While what happened was scary, the level of care and concern demonstrated by students and adults for their friends, family members, classmates, and colleagues is what helped us get through today and what makes our school community a strong and supportive place to learn and grow," Geary wrote.
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