Police said extra precautions taken in response to wording that included March 20 date
Updated at 12:30 p.m. to add comment from superintendent
Authorities put extra security measures in place Wednesday morning at Kennett High School in response to a message discovered in a school bathroom on Monday.
A disturbing message with a date of March 20 that was discovered Monday in a bathroom at Kennett High School resulted in extra safety precautions, said Kennett Square Police.
Police said K-9 units specializing in explosives detection from the Chester County Sheriff’s Department conducted an extensive search of the building before issuing an all clear, and parents were notified that additional security measures would be in place on Wednesday morning.
Police said every student’s bag was searched by Signal 88 Security and school personnel. In addition, the students were also scanned by a hand-held metal detector.
Kennett Square officers were present in the building to ensure that no problems occurred, said Chief Edward A. Zunino Jr.. He said the searches were completed by 8:10 a.m., and students proceeded to regular classes. He said the exact wording of the message would not be disclosed.
“Although the message was not directed at any one person or group of people, we took every precaution to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” said Kennett Consolidated School District Superintendent Barry Tomasetti. “In this process, the district was aided by local and county law enforcement agencies. The Kennett Borough Police along with the district administration are continuing the investigation of this event.”
Zunino urged anyone with information to contact Kennett Square police at 610-444-0501.
Although the district gave parents the option of keeping their children home on Wednesday, it could not be determined how many elected to do so. Tomasetti said the district does not release attendance numbers.
