Threat Leads To Lockdown At Schools In Hudson Valley After Student 'Jokes' About Having Gun

A junior high school and an elementary school were placed in lockdown in the Hudson Valley after a student "joked" about having a gun.

Student joking about having a gun leads to two schools being locked down and a search by a cavalry of law enforcement.
Photo Credit: *Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash*

Kathy Reakes

05/27/2022 12:00 p.m.

The incident took place in Ulster County around 10:40 a.m., Thursday, May 26.

Police responded to Ellenville Junior High school after the 13-year-old student alleged to have a gun as he was talking to another teen, said Chief Philip Mattracion, of the Ellenville Police.

Officers immediately placed the school in lockdown along with a nearby elementary school, the chief said.

A search of the student's locker and property failed to turn up a weapon, Mattracion said.

Officers from Ellenville, the state police, and the Ulster County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene to make sure that both schools were safe and the lockdowns could be lifted, the chief said.

The Ellenville Police along with the Ulster County District Attorney's Office found there were no grounds to make an arrest, Mattracion said.

The student was turned over to school officials for disciplinary action, he added.

"At no time, but especially on the heels of what has transpired in both Buffalo and Texas, it is appropriate for anyone to make a comment about being in possession of a weapon on school grounds, or in school," Mattracion said. "It is not a laughing matter, this is extremely serious, and in every single instance will create a reaction from both school officials and law enforcement."

Ellenville School District Superintendent Lisa A. Wiles said the district takes the incident very seriously and the students will face consequences as outlined by the district’s code of conduct.

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