Update: Middle School Gunman Calls Were Hoax

UPDATE 7:59 p.m. — Clarkstown detectives believe that the call last night and today made by an unknown man stating that there was a gunman at Felix Festa Middle School was a hoax.

"Although we will continue to investigate these incidents, we are confident that there is no immediate threat to the students or staff," police said. "Tomorrow morning there will be an increased presence of uniformed officers at the school just as a precaution. Our priority is the safety and well being of the staff and students and to minimize the impact on the school schedule. We continue to work with the Clarkstown School District and will provide additional information as it becomes available."

Chief Raymond McCullagh thanked everyone involved in today's response and commended the actions of all involved. "The response was a testament to the dedication and training of the school staff and police agencies who responded in a professional and efficient manner to ensure the safety of our children," McCullagh said.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: Clarkstown officials said Thursday's situation at Felix Festa Middle Schoolbegan when a staff member of the C wing portion of the school received a phone call from an unknown adult saying there was a gunman inside the school.

Immediate lockdown procedures were initiated. The Clarkstown Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an extensive search of the Felix Festa school building. The search has been completed and no gunman or weapons have been found on the school grounds and the threat has been determined to not be credible.

The Clarkstown Central School District is currently initiating a departure process to get all students off of the school grounds safely. The initial plan is to release children who take school buses first, and the remainder of the students will be released subsequently.

Please expect a heavy police presence and traffic delays in and around the school grounds.

As a follow up, the Clarkstown Police Department will be continuing their investigation of the incident.

Thank you to the Clarkstown Police Department and assisting police agencies, and the Clarkstown Central School District for bringing this issue to a safe resolution.

School will resume on a normal schedule tomorrow.

“The incident at Felix Festa Middle School has ended with no injuries to students or staff," said Rockland County Legislator Christopher Carey. "Out of an abundance of caution, the Clarkstown Police Department put the entire school on lockdown to make sure all students and staff would be safe. I want to thank the Police Department for their outstanding efforts today. Things may have turned out far differently if not for the professionalism and dedication of the officers as they worked to keep our children, teachers and community safe."

UPDATE 3:45 p.m. — Clarkstown police are conducting a search of Felix Festa Middle School. The lockdown has been lifted. Students will remain in classrooms. Bus riders will be released classroom by classroom until all buses are cleared off school grounds.

Parents will then be permitted onto school grounds to pick up their children.

UPDATE: Felix Festa Middle School and Rockland BOCES, both in West Nyack, are in lockdown. Clarkstown police are investigating suspicious incidents there.

WEST NYACK, NY — Clarkstown police are investigating a phone threat against the school district's middle school. A crisis hotline reported a threat phoned in to them Wednesday night from someone claiming to be a student at Felix Festa Middle School.

Clarkstown police said they learned about the call at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

"There has been no credible evidence of any imminent threat to the school or the students," police officials said Thursday. "We will continue to investigate this incident and will remain in contact with school administrators."

The Clarkstown Detective Bureau is investigating this incident and is in contact with the school district. Police said the name and all of the information provided by the unidentified male on the call does not match the district database.

Additional patrols are at the school as a precaution.