Lockport High School was evacuated Friday afternoon, shortly before student dismissal time, due to the discovery of a possibly threatening note found on a classroom floor. All students and staff left the building safely. The threat was later determined to be non-credible.
Lockport City School District superintendent Mathis Calvin III said the order to evacuate the high school was given about 2:03 p.m., 11 minutes before dismissal, to facilitate a “full sweep” of the building by Lockport Police Department.
Calvin said administration had been made aware of the discovery of a note that “could be considered to be a threat.” He declined to elaborate on the contents and said evacuation was ordered “out of an abundance of caution.”
High school staff were tasked with getting all students out of the building and over to Kenan Center Arena, a couple of blocks away, on foot. Parents were alerted, and students were dismissed, bused home, or released for parent pickup from the Kenan Center.
The incident caused the cancelation of a couple of after-school activities at LHS.
All Lockport schools including the high school will reopen on Monday. As a precaution, there will be an increased police presence at the high school, to support a safe and smooth return. That’s standard protocol following such an incident.
Calvin said he did not know the last time the high school, or any other Lockport school building, was evacuated due to a threat. He complimented LPD for its quick response and the high school staff for working together to get students out the building. He also said, in response to a WIVB-TV reporter’s question, that there does not appear to be any link between the discovered note and a concerning June 11 posting on TikTok.