Print
Share page with AddThis

Juvenile Charged in Connection with Making Threats to Shoot Student at Tewksbury High School

Posted on: March 1, 2018 - 1:42pm

TEWKSBURY – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Tewksbury Chief of Police Timothy Sheehan and Tewksbury School Superintendent Chris Malone have confirmed that a 14-year-old male freshman at Tewksbury High School has been arrested and charged with threating the use of a dangerous weapon, two counts of threatening to commit a crime and disturbing a school assembly, in connection with allegedly communicating to a fellow student this morning that he intended to shoot another student.

That student reported the incident to school officials at approximately 7:40 a.m. and the 14-year-old male was immediately approached by the assigned Tewksbury Police Department School Resource Officer, a shelter in place order was activated and additional officers were called to the school. Police searched the student and his possessions and determined that the student was not in possession of a firearm. That student was subsequently charged and transported to the Tewksbury Police Station where he remains in custody.

Tewksbury Police are taking all steps to ensure student safety including the activation of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) School Threat Assessment and Response System (STARS) team, reviewing surveillance video from the school and conducting a search of the building using both officers and canines trained to detect explosives and firearms.  No firearms or other threats have been located in the school.

Some parents have decided to go to the school and pick up their child, those children have been dismissed. All other students will be directed to areas that have been secured by police and will be dismissed at the regular time.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Tewksbury Police at (978-851-7373).

To ensure the safety of students, teachers and the community Tewksbury Police will remain on the campus for the remainder of the school day.

The student will be arraigned in Lowell Juvenile Court. With the exception of youthful offender cases, juvenile court proceedings are closed to the public.