Staff report
Lothrop Elementary School in Pittsford went into lockdown on Thursday, June 9 after a threat of violence.
Police said a man walked into a Rutland health facility Thursday morning and made a number of threatening statements. Some of the comments made referred to the school shooting in Texas and his desire to carry out a similar event. The school was locked down as a precaution after a police investigation determined the individual had ties to Pittsford. Schools in neighboring towns remained open.
“We made a joint decision with the police to proactively initiate our safety protocols and respond by securing the building,” Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Jeanné Collins said in a letter to parents after the incident was over.
Brandon Police Chief David Kachajian said all of the Rutland County police departments worked together on the threat. “There was no direct threat made to Brandon and we didn’t want to start any type of panic but we obviously kept a closer eye on the school,” he said.
The doors of the school were locked at 9 a.m. and no students were allowed outside but learning continued as normal until the lockdown was lifted at 11 a.m. when the man was arrested and transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center under a mental health warrant.
Collins said she learned about the incident after police called the Lothrop Elementary School principal.
“We didn’t want kids going out to recess,” Collins said in an interview. “We were much more intentional about who we let in the school.”
Collins said students were not told about the incident. “There was no need to alarm the students and learning continued,” Collins said. “In working with the police department, we followed our protocols. It was a proactive stance, it wasn’t in response to a direct threat.”