For Immediate Release

Friday, Oct. 18, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Exeter High School Briefly Enters Safe Campus Mode after Suspicious Person Seen near Stadium

Person Wearing Fake Gas Mask Determined to be Charter School Student

No Threat or Danger to School Community

EXETER — Superintendent David Ryan reports that Exeter High School on Thursday briefly entered Safe Campus Mode, which secured the building and grounds, after a suspicious person was seen wearing a trench coat and what appeared to be a gas mask.

The individual was identified as a student at a local charter school and the mask was believed to be a school art project. No threats were made and authorities have determined that there is no danger to the school.

The suspicious person was spotted by two school bus drivers near the athletic stadium behind the school at 9:30 a.m., and threat response procedures were activated. The school resource officer responded to the area and an investigation ensued.

The investigation determined the individual was a student at a nearby charter school. All charter school students have the right to ride SAU 16 buses, and it was determined that this student rode the bus to EHS before taking a shuttle to their school. The student was located and apprehended for questioning.

“We do not have a firm grasp on the student’s intent to behave this way, but we can state that the result of his antics led to the high school activating a secure campus for approximately 20 minutes until he was apprehended and identified,” Superintendent David Ryan said Friday.

SAU 16 has offered its Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) services to the charter school to help address the student’s behavior.

Superintendent Ryan wishes to commend administrators at Exeter High School, especially Principal Michael Monahan and Security Coordinator Richard Kane and Exeter Police Department School Resource Officer Sonya Robichaud for following the SAU’s established protocols and policies in the event of a dangerous situation.

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