Weapon Threat Leads to Lockdown at Ulster County School

Ulster County school was placed on lockdown this week after school administrators received a report of a potential weapon on campus.

The new school year is only a few weeks old and sadly we've already heard numerous stories of schools that have had to deal with the threat of violence. Last week the New York State Police in Dutchess County responded to Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, New York after an anonymous terroristic statement was made allegedly threatening to target the victim with a gun after school.

This week a school in Ulster County had to deal with the possibility of a student having a gun inside the school.

Gun Threat at Rondout Valley High School

According to the Ulster County Sheriff's Office school officials at the Rondout Valley High School in Accord, New York had to initiate lockdown and lockout procedures at both the High School and Middle School on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024. It all started around 12:00 p.m. when school administrators received a report that there might be a weapon on school grounds. As soon as the report was made the school quickly notified the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer and the initiated lockdowns.

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The school resource officer proceeded to request additional police support to search the campus in an attempt to locate the weapon.

Student Brings BB Gun to School

Soon after the lockdown started, the school resource officer located the student they suspected of carrying the weapon and searched his belongings, eventually recovering a BB gun from the student's backpack according to police. The male student was identified as an eleventh grader at the high school.

Investigation Continues at High School

The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting a formal investigation into this incident and as more information becomes available we will update this article. The Sherriff's Office also wanted to remind folks of the importance of the motto, "If you see something, say something" and encouraged parents to talk with their children about the rules regarding prohibited items on school grounds and the risks associated with bringing such items to campus.