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Nearly three hours after students were evacuated for a bomb threat, Yorktown High School has reopened and returned to normal.
Lt Bob Noble of the Yorktown Police Department confirmed there was a note found at around 9 a.m. that led to the school's evacuation. Schools Superintendent Ralph Napolitano left a phone message to anxious parents telling them all students and staff were safe and had been evacuated.
The hazardous devices unit of Westchester police responded to help us extensively search the campus as best possible to try and make it safe for the students, Noble said. The threat that was made was not taken very lightly. It was taken very seriously and thats the response you see here today.
Westchester County Police, Yorktown Police, Yorktown Heights Fire Department, Yorktown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Emergency Medical Services vehicles and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) police were all present at the school.
The athletic fields and parking lot of the school were swept for bombs before the students evacuated, and the high school was swept and sniffed by dogs as well.
Eleventh grader Anthony Rueda said the students were told to evacuate during his second period science class.
They just told us to evacuate to the fields, they didnt really tell us anything, Rueda said. Some of the teachers knew what was going on and told us, but no, they didnt tell us what was going on. He said the students were outside for about an hour and a half before they were brought inside to the middle school because of the hot weather, and then moved again into air conditioned rooms in the middle school and given water.
Last time this happened I was a freshman, but this was a lot longer than any other time, he said.
Noble said the police determined there was no credible threat and students soon filed back into the school at around noon. He stressed that if the threat turns out to bogus, the police will investigate and find the responsible party
If it appears to be a hoax, ultimately its a reckless and irresponsible thing to do," said Noble. "To have this kind of response from EMS, law enforcement and the fire department. Its irresponsible, reckless and criminal and we hope to catch the person or persons responsible.
The school is planning to press charges if the individuals repsonsible for the threat are identified.
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