Dec. 20—A student at Westbrook High School was taken into protective custody after making threats against several fellow students, school officials said Friday.
Police are investigating after several high school students were named in “threatening messages written by another student,” the district said in a joint statement with the Westbrook Police Department Friday afternoon.
Superintendent Peter Lancia said that “a number of students” were named in the messages, but he could not say exactly how many when reached by phone Friday afternoon. He said he was not sure how the students knew each other.
Officials have not identified the student who made the threats, but officials said the student was taken into protective custody by police. A weapons restriction order was also placed against the student, as part of police procedure, but they were not found with any weapons, the statement said.
“I know it’s still an active investigation with the police department,” Lancia said. “It’s really in their hands at this point.”
Students notified school officials about the threats on Thursday, Lancia said. He could not say whether those who reported the messages were the same ones named or other students.
“It was thanks to some very responsible students for letting us know that that was going on, and that is not OK,” Lancia said. “I’m just really proud of our students who reported that this was going on.”
There is no ongoing danger to the community, the departments said.
Neither police Chief Sean Lally nor Capt. Steve Goldberg, who signed the announcement, could be reached by phone Friday afternoon.
The announcement out of Westbrook came after threats caused Gardiner Area High School to close Friday morning.
That person was not a student at Gardiner and resides outside the community, Superintendent Patricia Hopkins said in a written statement.
“The person who made the threat has been identified and has been arrested for terrorizing,” Hopkins said. “Since there is no ongoing threat, the Gardiner Area High School is reopened.”
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