PERRYVILLE – A telephoned threat forced the evacuation of Perryville High School and Perry County Middle School Wednesday morning.
Police say the call came in at the police department about 6:15 a.m. using a technique that makes it difficult to trace. A second call came in at 7:20.
The school district issued a news release at mid-morning and a letter to the district family from Superintendent Andy Comstock in the afternoon.
The police department issued a news release at noon.
Perry County School District No. 32 issued its first official statement on the incident around mid-morning Wednesday
Police conducted a search this morning of facilities on the campus of Perry County School District 32. Perryville Police Department received a report that prompted the search, which began before the school day started.
Police ordered the evacuation of students and staff at Perryville High School and Perry County Middle School, and students were moved safely to rally points and a reunification site.
Other buildings on campus were placed on a precautionary lockout. Police completed the search without incident at around 9:15 am.
Law enforcement will provide additional information about this incident at the appropriate time. Our students are safe, and are being moved back to classrooms to continue the instructional day.
District 32 Superintendent Andrew Comstock thanked local law enforcement for their swift response to the incident.
“We are providing every support that our police need to identify any person who makes any threat against our school, students, or staff,” Mr. Comstock said.
Perryville Police Department releases statement at noon
On Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at approximately 06:15 am the Perryville Police Department received a phone call from a male subject claiming to be a student at Perryville High School.
He advised of a student threatening to place an incendiary device in the school today.
School officials were immediately notified, and officers were dispatched to the school to conduct a search of the buildings. Upon searching the buildings, no weapons or incendiary devices were located.
During our investigation, it was discovered that the caller used a voice over internet service to change his number. In addition, names that were given of both the caller and suspect, were NOT students at Perryville High School.
Chief Direk Hunt stated “We take the safety of our students seriously and will respond to all threats against them and our schools. If the suspect is identified, we will work with the Prosecuting Attorney to pursue charges for making a Terroristic Threat and any other applicable charges.”
Chief Hunt went on to say, “We always encourage citizens to ‘Say something if they see something’. However, the opposite side of the coin is those individuals that try and incite fear among the community by calling in a false report. These cases need to be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.”
Currently, this department is working with school district to attempt to identify a suspect. For further comment, please refer to Perry County School District #32.
Wednesday afternoon, Perry County School District No. 32 Superintedent issued a letter to the school district’s families
Dear District family,
A legitimate question has been asked about today’s incident on campus:
What time was the threat known, and if it was 6:15 am why were students and staff allowed to come to campus?
First, let me say that this is an active investigation, one which we at District 32 fully support and hope ends with appropriate charges against the person who made the threat. The police rightfully have not released all of the information regarding this investigation.
Perryville Police Department acted swiftly and appropriately to the 6:15 am phone call. It was not until further information become available, around 7:20 am, when a second phone call was made to the police department, that our law enforcement agencies felt that there could be a credible threat to Perryville High School – information that they shared with district leaders.
It was determined at that time that a search should be conducted and that students at PHS should be evacuated. Because the middle school is attached to the high school facilities, middle schoolers were also evacuated.
Unfortunately, by 7:20 am our students and staff were already on campus, on the bus, or being dropped off. Our staff and law enforcement acted at all times to protect our students.
We continue to provide all possible assistance to our police department as they attempt to identify the person who caused this incident.
We urge anyone — students, parents, or community members — with information that may assist the police to contact Perryville Police Department at 573-547-4546, or tell a trusted adult.
We must come together as a community to protect our schools from threats, whether they are real or false.
Sincerely,
Andrew B. Comstock