Hyde Park School District Identifies Who Brought Bullet to FDR

Students Put in Hold In Place in Hyde Park

Back on February 18th, 2026, students and staff at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park were put in a "Hold In Place."

A "Hold In Place" is implemented when there is non-threatening, short term internal emergencies, according to the NYC Public Schools website. While in a hold in place staff and students must stay in their classrooms until the situation is cleared.

That day, FDR High School was in a hold in place until school was dismissed in the afternoon.

At the time, there were no details as to what caused the hold in place, the information being shared by students and parents was just word of mouth.

Loose Bullet Causes Emergency Response at FDR High School

However, later that same day, the Hyde Park Centra School District released a statement that explained why the hold in place was implemented.

Hyde Park Central School District including the Superintendent Dr. Pedro Roman and FDR High School Principal Michael Ruella wrote "Earlier today, our Building Administration Team received a report that a .22 caliber bullet was located in a bathroom toilet."

The administration added that the school was put in a hold in place as a precaution and that there would be an additional police presence at the school the following day.

In the statement the HPCSD explained there was "no information regarding a verifiable threat."

Still, and rightfully so, the situation sparked concern with parents across the district.

Hyde Park Central School District Shares Update in FDR Bullet Incident

A follow-up statement has been shared to the school districts Facebook page.

On March 4th, 2026, the Hyde Park Central School District posted the following:

In close collaboration with the Hyde Park Police Department, we can now confirm that the responsible party has been identified. Please be assured that we are addressing this matter in accordance with the District Code of Conduct.

Superintendent Dr. Pedro Roman and FDR Principal Michael Ruella go on to stress that "The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority" as the incident "serves as a vital reminder of the importance of the “See Something, Say Something” culture."

Parents were quick to point out in the comment section that there were still more questions to be answered. One parent asked "Ok, you've identified the person responsible. Further details? Like, was it a live round or an expended round? Did they go to a range shortly before?"

You can read the full statement from the administration below: