A disturbing Columbine-esque threat was phoned into Hanover High School's main office yesterday morning leading to a "lock-down" of the school's premises until the situation was deemed safe.
An anonymous male called the school at 11:45 a.m. saying only, "Everyone's going to die at one o'clock," according to the school's principal Uwe Bagnato.
He said the office receptionist received the brief phone call, after which she immediately notified Bagnato.
Bagnato said he could not determine if the voice was that of an adult or a student.
He then contacted the superintendent of the school system and the Hanover Police Department. Together they decided to opt for a school lock-down instead of an evacuation.
"We looked at the options -- the danger was so general," Bagnato said.
At approximately 12:45 p.m., Bagnato said he used the school's public address system to order all students out of open areas and into classrooms.
The classrooms and all exterior doors were then locked. Six police officers were on the scene, according to Bagnato. Officers and/or adults were present at each of the exterior doors.
By 1:25 p.m., there had been "nothing out of the ordinary" so Bagnato ended the lock-down, and the students returned to class.
The police stayed at the school for the remainder of the day and are currently investigating the incident. Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone could not be reached for comment last night.
Bagnato said he e-mailed parents yesterday to inform them of the matter.
Also, a brief statement will be issued today to inform all students on exactly what occurred in an effort to avoid potential problems that could result from false rumors spreading.
Bagnato said he was not willing to speculate on the identity of the anonymous caller saying only, "I believe when these things are uncovered that they tend to be students of the school involved."
This is not the first time Hanover High has been faced with a threat of this nature. Two years ago, Bagnato said, "We received a back-to-back kind of threat -- in the pre-Columbine era -- that was similar."
That incident resulted in the evacuation of the school.
Bagnato said that was the only similar incident he could remember in his 15 years at the school.
Though New Hampshire schools have not faced much in the way of copy-cat crime or threats in the wake of the Columbine massacre or previously, Vermont public schools have encountered considerable problems.
Schools in Colchester, South Burlington, Essex, Winooski, Fairfax, and other Vermont towns have received threats in the past few years, none of which resulted in any actual bombs or injuries.
In one case, Adam Lavallee, 18, pleaded guilty last July to calling in bomb threats that disrupted Colchester High School.
In a separate case in July, Jesse Creller, 16, pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a bomb threat twice to Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, Vt.
Several other students were charged in other incidents around the state of Vermont.
