An elementary school in Colchester was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after a student brought a training grenade inside the building, according to police and school officials.
All staff and students at Malletts Bay School were evacuated to Colchester Middle School while the state police bomb squad removed the device for further evaluation, according to the Colchester School District.
“After examination, (state police) determined that while it looked real, it was an inert training device that did not have the potential to pose a safety risk,” the district said in a letter to parents.
Students and staff were allowed back into the school once police cleared the campus, the district said.
The device was found by a teacher who reported it to the administration, according to the letter. Colchester police were called to assess the device before the bomb squad arrived.
Police said the device was brought into the school by a student who had found it outside near his home. The student and his parents are cooperating with police and no additional devices were found in the school or in the student’s home.
“There was certainly no intent to scare anyone,” said Colchester Police Chief Douglas Allen. “He just brought it in to show his friends that he thought it was neat.”
Colchester and state police are unsure where the device originated, but said it appears to have been outside for a long time.
This comes as the second potential threat reported at a Vermont school this week. Orleans Elementary School canceled classes Tuesday after officials said a student made a threat there last week.
State police said the Orleans school would “modify operations” on Wednesday and have an increased police presence for the safety of students and staff. The investigation is continuing.
Authorities also seized weapons as part of an investigation into a “potential threat” made at Montpelier High School last month. The Montpelier Police Department announced the probe the day after a gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas.
State police said it takes every report of school threats seriously and is working with the school to thoroughly investigate the Colchester incident.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Training grenade found in Colchester elementary school prompts evacuation.