SHREWSBURY – A live bullet was found in a hallway of Oak Middle School this morning, according to a statement posted on social media by the Shrewsbury Police Department around 1 p.m.
“This morning we were made aware that a bullet was found in a hallway at Oak,” said Superintendent Joseph Sawyer and Principal Ann Jones in the joint statement shared by the Shrewsbury Police Department.
“We immediately engaged the Shrewsbury Police, it was determined that it was a live bullet, and a heightened police presence and heightened supervision by administrators was immediately put into place,” they continued.
Police confirmed the report, and officers said additional Shrewsbury police and Massachusetts State Police resources were deployed.
State Police K-9 units swept the entire school. Students remained in their classrooms during the search and placed their backpacks in the hall, Sawyer and Jones said.
“This cautionary search discovered no further concerning items or issues,” Shrewsbury police said.
The search was completed at 11:15 a.m. Jones then told the students about the reason for the search, reassuring them that they are safe, she and Sawyer said.
Students were given the opportunity to reach out to teachers or administrators with questions.
“We are providing this information to you to reassure families that we responded to the discovery of the bullet by following our safety protocols to ensure that the school environment was safe,” Sawyer and Jones said.
They assured community members that all students and staff were safe and that the school day continued as normal.
However, officers said there will be additional police presence at the school for the rest of the day.
Sawyer and Jones thanked the Shrewsbury and State Police.
“We also appreciate the thoughtful way in which the Oak Middle School staff worked through this unusual situation in a manner that maintained calm and reassurance for our students,” Sawyer and Jones said.