A Riverhead Middle School student made a “verbal threat” against the school and its students, causing the Riverhead Police Department to launch an investigation into the incident, according to a letter sent to the school community around 3:30 p.m. today.
The student was removed from a classroom and escorted by building security and administrative personnel to the principal’s office and remained under supervision after the unspecified incident occurred, the letter from Superintendent Augustine Tornatore says.
Riverhead Police were immediately notified and arrived at the school shortly after the call was made, the letter says. The matter has been handed off to the police and the district has no further updates on the investigation.
“The Riverhead School District takes a threat of any kind very seriously. There is zero tolerance for such behavior or actions,” the letter says. “We want to sincerely thank Principal Dr. Hudson and Assistant Principal Campbell for their swift and professional handling of this incident.”
“A police presence at our Riverhead Middle School will remain for the rest of the week to reassure our school community,” the letter says. “In these challenging times, we would like to remind our school community to report any suspicious behavior, verbal or written, to a school administrator.”
This threat at the middle school comes after two high school students were arrested and charged last week for making threats of violence against school. Weapon searches were conducted on both students’ homes after the threats were made and police found no weapons, police said.
More coverage:
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
