Whitehall District Schools was placed into lockdown Wednesday afternoon after a student notified the Whitehall School Resource Officer that another student may be in possession of a handgun; however, it turned out to be a toy replica.
After being notified at approximately 1:50 p.m., the SRO immediately contacted other on-duty Whitehall officers who responded to the school. The Montague Police SRO also responded to assist. A lockdown was established and when officers arrived, a sweep of the building was done with staff as the SRO attempted to locate the student.
The student was located in a classroom and the replica gun was recovered. The preliminary investigation did not indicate any other students were involved. The student was secured in the SRO’s office as the rest of the students were released for the day.
The Whitehall Police Department is continuing their investigation into the incident and said it will not release any more information on the student involved at this time due to the student being a juvenile.
In a statement, superintendent CJ Van Wieren praised the student who came forward with the information and noted that it helped the district respond as it needed to.
"We are grateful for the quick response of our staff and local law enforcement in ensuring a safe resolution," Van Wieren said in the statement.
