Hinesburg Police searched the home of a 15 year-old Shelburne student after peers reported him on two occasions with concerns of school threats.
Hinesburg Police searched the home of a male 15 year-old Champlain Valley Union High School student Thursday after peers reported he spoke about a school shooting, Hinesburg Police Chief Frank Koss said in a release Thursday afternoon.
"Based on the search conducted, there was nothing found to indicate any immediate means or documented intent to carry out any threat to CVU," Koss said. He added that several electronic devices were seized to look for any documents that would indicate a threat.
The district is off this week for a spring break.
The student, a Shelburne resident who was not identified by police, had been the subject of two reports. The first was made on Feb. 15, after a student told the administration the teen had sent a Snapchat indicating a possible school shooting. He was contacted by Shelburne Police the next morning and was temporarily suspended, Koss said.
The male student returned to school the following week and on Friday, Feb. 23, a different student reported that the unidentified teen had again "made a statement regarding a school shooting," Koss said. His locker and backpack were searched, but no threatening items were found and he remained at school, under supervision by school staff, for the rest of the day.
Classes were not disrupted after either report, Koss said.
Shelburne Police then conducted interviews, Koss said, and "based on the information received, as well as the nature of the threat, Hinesburg Police applied for and received a search warrant for the student’s residence."
Koss said the police will send a full report to school administrators and the State's Attorney's office.
Several districts around the state have been roiled by threats of school shootings over the past few weeks, following a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida that left 17 students and staff members dead.
Jack Sawyer, a former student police arrested on Feb. 15 for planning an attack on Fair Haven High School, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault with a weapon and two counts of aggravated attempted murder. Police said Sawyer kept a diary titled "The Journal of an Active Shooter" and had purchased a shotgun and ammunition.
A court hearing to determine whether he should remain in jail while being tried will continue Friday in Rutland.
Other threats resulted in citations of at least three students into court after threats directed at schools in Colchester, Essex and St. Albans.