Hen Hud Schools in Lockdown for Two Days as Police Investigate Threat
Several schools in the Hendrick Hudson School District were placed in lockdown Wednesday afternoon for the second straight day after an anonymous phone threat was made.
According to information released by Superintendent of Schools Joseph Hochreiter, an unidentified man called the high school at 1:45 p.m. wanting money. An earlier report stated the man threatened to bring automatic weapons and explosives to the school, but that was later retracted by the district.
A school secretary and assistant principal calmly tried to get the caller to explain exactly what he wanted but he continued an obscene rant and then hung up. Principal James Mackin put the high school on lockdown and contacted the State Police. Nearby Frank G. Lindsey Elementary School was also put on lockdown.
Twenty state troopers responded to the school grounds and they recommended moving students from the classrooms to the gymnasium. A complete sweep of the high school was made with a canine unit
Frank G. Lindsey students were able to leave the school on their regular buses and high school students were dismissed just after 4 p.m. State Police and other local law enforcement personnel remained on the scene.
All afterschool activities and evening events were cancelled at the high school, Lindsey and Blue Mountain Middle School. A uniformed state trooper will be at every district school on Thursday and Friday.
Due to the ongoing probe, Hochreiter said the district was unable to release any other information, but noted any updates would be posted on the district’s home page and Facebook.
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