North Allegheny High School students had to undergo searches of their backpacks, purses and other items on Tuesday after a student reported seeing a threat written on a bathroom wall that prompted a lockdown M0nday morning.
The school was locked down at 10:30 a.m. Monday. McCandless police and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s department and K-9 units searched the school and the high school was cleared to lift the lockdown at 11:15 a.m., according to North Allegheny Superintendent Dr. Melissa Friez.
The lockdown did not affect students in other buildings, but all families in the district were alerted.
Searches of students backpacks, bags, purses and other items were conducted at the entrance of the high school building on Tuesday morning and students were expected to be searched again Wednesday when they arrived for school.
The McCandless police officers and Allegheny County deputy sheriff units assisted with student arrivals.
NASD participates in Safe2Say Something, a school safety tool and youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. It shows how to recognize warning signs from those who may pose a threat to themselves or to others, especially on social media, according to www.safe2saypa.org.
Students, staff, and others can anonymously report any unsafe potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activities on school properties, according to the district.
The district urges everyone that if something looks suspicious or there is specific information regarding a criminal offense to let someone know. More information is available on www.northallegheny.org.
