Local police authorities and Whitman administration worked together to stop a potential weapon threat on October 5, according to a community letter Principal Robert Dodd sent regarding the details of the incident.
Law enforcement initiated an investigation to assess the nature of the incident, which revealed that there was no actual threat posed by the student to the school.
Students reported suspicions of a classmate possessing a weapon on campus. The administration alerted the Montgomery County Police Department soon after receiving the report, Dodd wrote.
Montgomery County Police officers arrived on the scene and worked with school administrators to assess the situation. Officials determined that the student in question was no longer on campus and no longer a threat.
Dodd highlighted the significance of the school’s partnership with local law enforcement.
“We deeply appreciate our students who took the initiative to report a possible threat, giving us the ability to determine its validity,” Dodd said in his letter to the community. “Our top priority is to ensure a safe environment for all of our students and staff.”
Junior Olivia Woitach appreciates that the school prioritizes their students’ safety in times of emergency.
“Stuff like this happens in a lot of schools around the country, and I am just thankful that we have cops on campus that are here to deal with incidents like these.”
A similar situation occurred on September 19 at Whitman, when a student brought a toy gun to school, Dodd wrote in a community letter. Administrators involved MCPD, and the incident was resolved when officials confiscated the toy gun from the student involved.
A Whitman parent appreciates the hard work of the administration and MCPD to keep students safe during situations like these, they said.
“It’s really a shame that the students in our community have to even be thinking about incidents like this during the school day,” the parent said. “I’m impressed with how quickly law enforcement responded and I’m glad no one got injured.”
