Shooting Threat Closes Manchester High School, Bentley Academy

MANCHESTER, CT — Manchester High School and Bentley Academy were both closed Friday after school officials discovered an e-mailed shooting threat. Extra security measures will be in place next week, school and law enforcement officials said.

Manchester Superintendent of Schools Matt Geary said the threat came in Friday morning, identified Friday as the day of the shooting and was specific to MHS.

Geary said he had no choice but the send staff already present home and close the schools. Investigators were on campus well into Friday morning.

Manchester police said they are in the midst on an "ongoing" investigation into "the source of the threat."

Here is the transcript of a letter sent by Geary to the school community:

"As you know, Manchester High School and Bentley Academy are closed today. I am writing with an update on this situation.

"The high school principal opened an email early this morning that contained a threat of a shooting specific to Manchester High School. The email identified today as the day the shooting would take place.

"After consulting with the Manchester Police Department, a decision was made to close the school based on the nature of the threat and the time we became aware. My top priority this morning was preventing students and staff from coming to the building and clearing staff already in the building out of MHS and Bentley.

"Police began an immediate investigation into the source of the threat. That investigation is ongoing.

"There are several after-school activities planned at MHS for today and I will update you on those in the next hour.

"MHS and Bentley will reopen on Monday. As a precaution, all student bags will be searched on the way into the building and there will be extra police presence in the building.

"I understand that this remains a scary time for students, parents, and staff members who come to or send loved ones to schools every day. We continue to prioritize student and staff safety while also trying to plan for the reality that threats of this nature can come in at any time and, in addition to causing fear and anxiety, are highly disruptive to the education of our students.
In every case, we consult with the police department and make decisions based on our ability or inability to mitigate the threat and open schools safely.

"I understand this causes panic - we do our best to get accurate information out to people in a timely manner without providing details that could compromise the investigation of the police department."