Bristol School Locked Down After Suspected Weapon Found

BRISTOL, PA — Multiple schools in a Bucks County district were locked down on Thursday after a gaming device was mistaken for a weapon, school officials said.

The incident occurred at Neil A. Armstrong Middle School around 7:50 a.m.

The weapon, which was seen in the possession of a student, turned out to be "a remote control used for gaming," the Bristol Township School District said.

Students had reported the possible weapon to school officials and parents.

Before this was determined, the school was locked down due to safety concerns. Bucks County Technical High School and Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School were also locked down for safety measures.

Harry S. Truman High School and surrounding elementary continued operations while the investigation was underway. The lockdown of the two middle schools and tech school were lifted around 9:30 a.m.

The Bristol Township Police Department released this statement at 10:35 a.m.:

On Thursday, May 26, 2022, at approximately 7:51 AM, police dispatch received a third-party report of a juvenile with a gun boarding a Bristol Township School Bus heading to Armstrong Middle School.

Investigating officers were able to determine and confirm the student in question had brought a black video game controller to school with him.

There was no threat to the students at Armstrong Middle School.

We express our gratitude to local agencies who responded and supported our investigation of this incident. Additionally, we wish to thank Armstrong Middle School staff for their diligence in maintaining safety protocols and gathering information as the investigation unfolded.

Bucks County Technical High School released this statement at 9:47 a.m.:

Good Morning,

Earlier this morning Armstrong Middle School went into lockdown in order for law enforcement to investigate a 911 call. BCTHS which is in close proximity to Armstrong, also went into lockdown to be safe.

At about 9:25 am, we were informed by the Superintendent at Bristol Township, that the lockdown is over and that it was a "false report."

During the lockdown, BCTHS security and administration was in contact with local law enforcement and secured all entrances.

The safety of our students and staff are always the top priority at BCTHS.

Thank You

H. DeGeorge
Assistant Administrative Director

This comes days after the fatal shooting of 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas.