Update: Concord Police Remove Former Student From High School

CONCORD, NH — Concord police said students at Concord High School were not in any danger after a former student, who was not supposed to be in the school but was, with a box of weapons and personal items, was removed from the building and campus on Thursday.

The school resource officer called other officers for backup around 12:30 p.m. after being told a 16-year-old former student, who no longer attends classes and is not allowed to be on the campus, was found inside the school. The boy, according to Deputy Chief John Thomas of the Concord Police Department, had a box with him and was looking for another student in the building when a staffer recognized him and knew he was banned from the facility. It took the SRO about 5 to 10 minutes to find the student inside the building, Thomas said.

The box, which was located outside the building, contained two knives, a CO2 pellet handgun, clothes, and other items, leading investigators to believe he was carrying personal items around with him.

"There was no ill intent by the student," Thomas said. "No one in the school was in danger."

Outside of Concord High School, officers were seen speaking with the student in the back of a police SUV. It was business as usual, too, with students coming and going, without any issues or knowledge of the former student being in the building.

The student was taken into protective custody and a family member was notified.

Kathleen Murphy, the district's school superintendent, did not return an email seeking comment.

Principal Michael Reardon said officials were told the boy, who was not a student at the school, made his way into the building and then, left.

"Administrators and our school SRO went outside, found the young man still in the area, and Concord police took him into custody," he said. "For the short time, this search and apprehension took, we cleared students from the courtyard."

Reardon said he was considering going to a full lockdown but since the trespasser was "immediately identified and apprehended, I decided this was not necessary." He added, "At no time were any Concord High students in danger."

Beginning Friday, a program assistant, "who knows our students and has access to student information," will be at the school gym lobby entrance.

"Previously," he said, "we’ve had recently-hired monitors on duty there."

The entrance will continue to be the lone access point for students to the building.

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