GARDINER — Gardiner Area High School was locked down briefly this morning after a former student confronted a current student inside the school.

Gardiner Police Chief James Toman said nobody was hurt during the confrontation. The lockdown lasted about 30 minutes.

“The student body as a whole wasn’t in danger,” Toman said.

Toman said the investigation is ongoing but he anticipates there will be charges filed in connection with the incident.

Toman said the lockdown occurred around 10:30 a.m. today after a former student entered the high school and confronted the current student, who then informed the school resource officer, a Gardiner police officer. Both of the young people involved are males, he said.

The student did not know where the former student was, or if he was still in the building, Toman said. He said the school resource officer locked down the school to hasten the search for the former student.

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“At no time was the student body in danger,” Toman said. “While we were looking for him we got information that the person had left and had gone to Randolph.”

The lockdown, which requires student and staff to go into the nearest room and wait quietly until they are cleared to leave, occurred during third period. Gardiner High School Principal Chad Kempton said students finished the period and school continued as scheduled until students were dismissed at the standard time.

Kempton said lockdowns always cause concerns for students and staff who are not told why the lockdown occurred, but he commended everyone for their response.

“Our staff and students handled it very well,” Kempton said.


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