Thomas Breen photo
Students released early from Coop Tuesday after lockdown.
Students at Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School spent more than two hours locked down Tuesday morning in response to a report of a student bringing a gun in a backpack into the building.
After 11:30 a.m., the school arranged to release students to parents who had arrived on scene and had buses to bring others home early.
Police later arrested a 14-year-old student found at school in possession of a knife.
Asst. Supt. Keisha Redd-Hannans (center):"It is a somber day in New Haven Public Schools. But this is why we prepare."
Waiting for official press conference at College and Crown.
Coop students dismissed to the Shubert before meeting up with parents and heading home.
The school’s principal, Val-Jean Belton, contacted Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans shortly after 9 a.m. about a report of a student bringing a gun to the College Street school, possibly inside a backpack, according to officials. Redd-Hannans said a student thought she saw a weapon in school, told her parent, and then her parent called the principal. That’s why the principal called the assistant superintendent.
Police arrived inside the building within minutes. Students were kept inside their classrooms.
Police first had to establish there was “no active shooter situation,” said Police Chief Karl Jacobson. He said police checked surveillance video and spotted a bag being moved by students around the school.
“We have recovered the bag. There’s nothing in it,” Jacobson said at a press conference held outside the school shortly after 11:30. Police are continuing to investigate.
“The bag was taken from the scene prior to us finding it,” he added.
Three students have been detained so far in connection with the incident, none arrested, Jacobson said.
Update: At 8:07 p.m. Tuesday, police spokesperson Capt. Rose Dell sent out an email press release stating that, during the course of the police’s search of the school building, “a 14-year-old student was found to be in possession of a knife. The student was immediately arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous weapon.”
Dell Continued: “The police department and school officials will continue to investigate the incident and appropriate charges will be brought against any student involved.”
Meanwhile, students remained on lockdown, and a crowd formed outside, including parents.
“We had to get inside as quick as possible” to make sure there was no active shooter, Jacobson said during Tuesday’s on-the-scene press conference. “It took us time to get video and the proper evidence to deem it was safe at this time.”
The school system arranged to have social workers present at the Shubert Theater a block away “recognizing this is a traumatic event for our students and family to endure,” said Redd-Hannans.
“Our schools are safe,” Redd-Hannans added.
Jacobson said the police will temporarily assign a school resource officer (SRO) to Coop.
“Obviously there was a gap today, and we’re going to fix it,” Jacobson replied. He said police are continuing to review surveillance video from the school.
Parents, reporters await word on College Street during lockdown.
City spokesperson Lenny Speiller and schools spokesperson Justin Harmon at the scene Tuesday.
Jacobson was asked if police know whom the suspicious backpack belonged to.
“Yeah, we have people we are talking to,” he said.
The school began releasing students to the Shubert a few minutes before noon.
Parent Ashia Wheeler: "I'm upset. I'm anxious."
Ashia Wheeler, a Westville resident with a son and daughter who attend Coop, was one of the several dozen parents waiting in the middle of the blocked off roadway on College Street Tuesday morning, eager for updates from officials and looking out for their children as they were dismissed to the Shubert.
“I’m upset,” Wheeler said. “I’m anxious. I want to see everybody’s babies come out OK.”
She said she knew that both of her children were OK, as she had been texting with them all morning ever since they went into lockdown. She spoke about how distressing it is to have to worry about her kids being in danger just by attending school. And she spoke about the mental health issues she’s seen plenty of young people struggling with since the pandemic. “These kids need a breath.” They need a “mental health day.”
student K'Meya Ingram: "It was normal." Until it wasn't.
Ka’Meya Ingram, a 14-year-old sophomore at Coop, got to the Shubert soon after noon and immediately met up with her mom to head home early.
“It was normal,” she said about the start of the school day on Tuesday. Until it wasn’t. She was in science class at around 9 a.m. when students were told to go into lockdown. That meant that she and her classmates sat at their desks for two hours — feeling safe and calm, she said, but also told not to speak. She said she assumed that this was just another test. As the lockdown continued for hours, she said, she realized this was a more serious situation than a normal drill.
“I can’t go to school” tomorrow, she said, unsure about how safe it will be and how she’ll still be processing what happened Tuesday. What would make her feel safer at school? “More security guards.”
Coop wasn’t the only school to end the day early Tuesday.
“Out of an abundance of caution,” Educational Center for the Arts closed its afternoon school program for the day “to avoid any possible risk” stemming from the Coop incident, according to Principal Leslie Abbatiello. She stated in a message to the ECA community that the school was acting after consultation with the Yale police.
Paul Bass and Brian Slattery contributed to this story.