Dispute Leads To Panic At Beverly Middle School

BEVERLY, MA — A dispute between students in the Beverly Travel Basketball Program prompted the program to call police and cancel practices at Beverly Middle School on Wednesday. But after police determined there was "no immediate threat," school officials sent a note to parents explaining their decision to hold classes as normal at the school on Thursday.

"I am writing in response to reports on social media regarding an issue yesterday that contains some inaccuracies," wrote Superintendent Sue Charochak. "At no point was there any danger to the middle school community, and the middle school was never placed in lockdown."

Those "inaccuracies" on social media included speculation that police were investigating a school shooting threat. Charochak said the school and the basketball program would continue to cooperate with police as they continued to investigate the incident.

Last March, two bullets were found on school system properties within days of each other. At Beverly Middle School, students were ordered to shelter in place while police searched the building after a student found a bullet in the corner of a hallway. Three days after that incident, a parent found a bullet in the parking lot of Mckeown School, where administrative offices and some school programs are housed.