BURRILLVILLE – Students at Burrillville Middle School were told to shelter in place, and 7th and 8th graders had their backpacks searched on Thursday, Sept. 1, after one student reportedly overheard another say they were carrying a gun.
Supt. Michael Sollitto said that unlike in a full lockdown, “shelter in place,” allows classroom activities to continue – but without movement from room to room by students and staff. No one was allowed to enter or exit the building starting around 8:10 a.m., and members of the Burrillville Police Department worked with school administration to address students who were in the area where the statement was overheard.
As part of safety protocol, the group reportedly visited every 7th and 8th grade classroom, bringing students into the hallway, a few at a time, to have their backpacks searched. According to a note on the incident sent to middle school parents, no 6th grade students were in the area where the statement was reportedly heard.
No weapons were ultimately found, and normal operations resumed around 10 a.m., although School Resource Officer Jason Nault stayed at BMS for the remainder of the day.
Sollitto thanked the Burrillville Police Department for their help and collaboration during the incident, as well as the student that alerted staff.
“This student followed our ‘see something, say something,’ protocol and should be commended,” Sollitto noted.
