'Unfounded Report' Of Gun Draws Glocester Police To High School

GLOCESTER, RI — Multiple police cars and emergency vehicles were reported speeding down Snake Hill Road Tuesday morning with reports on Facebook of a lockdown at Ponanganset High School.

Superintendent Michael Barnes sent an email to parents at 10:53 a.m. reporting an "unfounded report" of a student with a weapon. Barnes said the potential security threat prompted a response by Glocester Police and the provision of mutual aid from nearby towns.

Barnes wrote that the School Resource Officer secured the student in question. The student was searched and interviewed by Glocester Police, who determined that no weapon was present. Security camera footage was also reviewed to confirm locations the student had visited.

"We appreciate the stress and anxiety associated with an event like this," Barnes wrote. "We are proud of the reaction of our students, staff, and the amazing response of the first responders. If there is an upside to toady's event's, it is the affirmation that our training and protocols were effectively implemented to address the potential threat."

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