Sep 25, 2015 4 min read

Students at Canon-McMillan Senior High School were greeted by an increased police presence Friday after North Strabane Township police were notified Thursday by district administration about threats allegedly made by a student that were violent and involved a firearm.

North Strabane Township police Chief Brian Hughes said roughly 10 officers from the township, Canonsburg and Cecil Township patrolled the building and grounds throughout the day in an attempt to make parents and students feel at ease.

Hughes declined to go into great detail but said numerous versions circulated around social media. Hughes said students were not at risk Friday, because an investigation revealed the threat was not credible.

“We established that the threat wasn’t credible and that the student didn’t have the capability to carry out the threat,” Hughes said.

Hughes said the student who made the threat does not face criminal charges. Both the district and Hughes declined to identified the student.

“There’s no victim,” he said. “We did everything we possibly could do. We looked at family and friends. We covered every possible scenario we could think of.”

Hughes said the student’s family was cooperative with police. The district declined to discuss any disciplinary measures taken against the student.

Amanda Gillooly, district spokeswoman, said attendance at the high school was low Friday, but she did not believe the threat affected attendance at any of other schools within the district. She said Friday proceeded as a normal school day.

Social media was flooded Thursday night and Friday with comments from parents and students both praising and condemning the district and police for their efforts. Many felt school should have been canceled Friday as a precaution.

Sally Cappelli, whose son, Michael, is a senior at Canon-Mac, said she was concerned when she heard about the incident.

“I was very worried about it, have sort of been stressed about it all day, but I am very happy with the way administration and the police have handled it,” said Cappelli.

Michael Cappelli and other members of the high school cross country team did not attend school Friday because they left for a meet in Hershey.

“I feel certain that our boys would have been quite safe today, had they been at school, Sally Cappelli said”

There were concerns Thursday night police were unable to locate the boy, a concern Hughes said was unfounded.

“He was never missing,” he said. “Sometimes, people want answers right now, but things take time. We had to let the investigation run the course.”

Hughes said there were no plans to have beefed-up security Monday, but he said he would gladly provide officers if the district decides it is necessary.

“We will handle anything else as it comes,” he said.