Police: No active shooter at the Academy | News, Sports, Jobs

Sentinel photo by SAMUEL BAUMGARDNER
A police vehicle is parked outside the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology in Lewistown on Friday.

LEWISTOWN – The Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology operated normally on Friday after being told of a potential threat of violence against the school that morning, according to a message from the Academy’s executive director Daniel Potutschnig , which was sent to parents and posted on the school website. website.

Potutschnig said the Mifflin County Regional Police Department had been notified and was investigating on the spot, but the courts continued to operate on a regular schedule. The principal later said a student had been taken into custody but has not been publicly identified. It is not known if any charges have been laid.

Police later said early reports of an active shooter at the school were not accurate.

Later on Friday, Potutschnig issued a second letter, providing a follow-up to what happened.

“As our students entered the building (Friday), we learned of a potential threat of violence,” wrote the director. “The administration contacted the MCRPD to help investigate. The administration is grateful for the prompt and comprehensive response from our local law enforcement agencies. Their response resulted in a student being detained and questioned in a timely manner. All but two of the police were able to leave the school property within 10 minutes of their arrival.

“After spending much of the day talking with the students and reviewing the information, we concluded that there was no credible threat against our students or the school (Friday) morning. Ultimately, we are grateful for the outcome and the response from everyone involved in (Friday’s) incident.

MCRPD chief André French said the incident was originally sent as a “Active shooter” event at the school, but this designation turned out to be incorrect.

“There has never been such an event at school”, French said in a statement Friday. “The agents responded because we took the call seriously, but found absolutely nothing.”

French said school resource officers “Are still investigating to determine exactly how and why this situation happened.” “

On Friday, several parents of Academy students still chose to remove their sons or daughters, which Potutschnig said would mean those students would be granted an excused absence for missing Friday’s classes.