MIDDLETOWN – High school officials were made aware of a threat on Thursday, September 15, regarding violence at the Middletown High School pep rally on Friday evening. A student reported the threat published on Apple AirDrop to personnel at approximately 12:45 p.m.
According to a district advisory, the student showed the AirDrop threat received that included an image. The threat said “on 9/16 the school will be shot up during the pep rally if u don’t wanna get lit up don’t show up AK-17 will be used.”
The post appears to have been shared numerous times during a lunch period making it virtually impossible to track the source. The staff took immediate action and called for a hold in place, and collected the cell phones of every student in the cafeteria, where it appears the photo was generated. Cell phones were not searched, they were merely collected as the threat is still being investigated.
The Middletown Police Department responded to investigate and phones were returned to students when the hold in place was lifted after the source of the threat was not located. The Middletown mayor as well as Wallkill town supervisor and police chief were also notified.
Creeden said that school will be open for instruction on Friday, September 16. The pep rally, however, has been postponed indefinitely.
Additionally, the following steps are being taken:
- There will be an increased police presence outside the building and around the campus of
the High School and Twin Towers Middle School. - The two school resource officers (SROs) posted regularly at the high school will be assisted by three additional officers in the high school on Friday.
- The Bell Game, the football rivalry game against Port Jervis will be played at 7 p.m. on Friday at Faller Field.
- No bags of any kind will be allowed into the stadium.
- All middle-school and younger students in attendance must be accompanied by an adult.
- Metal detectors will be in use when the gates open at 5 p.m.
- There will be several Middletown Police Officers posted at the stadium
