Live updates: No credible threat to Granite City school, district spokesman reports

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Authorities have determined that the reported threat that led to a lock down at Granite City High School on Wednesday was not credible, according to Chris Mitchell, a district spokesman.

Mitchell also said only the high school has an early dismissal Wednesday. No other schools have early dismissal, he said.

Illinois school districts get false threats

School districts in other parts of Illinois were facing a similar situation as Granite City High School on Wednesday morning, according to news reports.

In Rockford, for example, police were responding to what they said appears to be a ``false report” of a possible shooting at Rockford East High School.

“At this time, we are working on confirming details, but it looks to be a false report,” the department tweeted according to a report from TV station 5Chicago. “We are clearing the building as we speak and further updates will be posted.”

According to WSIL TV , there were false reports in southern Illinois school districts, including in Marion, Mount Vernon and Carbondale.

‘It was a false alarm’

Kantrell Stevenson, 15, said no one in his classroom was scared and they continued doing their work until they were dismissed.

“We just stayed in our classroom and did our tests,” he said. “We locked the door and we stayed there until they unlocked the doors.”

He also said the students all believe the threat was a hoax.

“It was a false alarm,” Kantrell told his uncle, Richard Womack, outside the building. “They were fibbing. It was a lie. That’s what I heard.”

Parents said the way they heard about the threat was through Facebook and word of mouth. They are only letting students out one or two at a time only if they have slip saying their parents are waiting outside for them.

Some parents said they have been told students are waiting in the school’s cafeteria.

‘A long half an hour’

Parents waited in the nearby Schnucks parking lots at Madison and Nameoki.

Paul Brandt was relieved to get a text from his son saying he was OK, but did not know why the police were called. Brandt had to drive 30 minutes from his workplace in St. Louis to get to the high school before he received his son’s text. “It was a long half an hour” Brandt said.

‘It was very scary’

Joe Clark, who has a 10th-grade son and 11th-grade daughter at Granite City High School, said both his children were taking the SAT college entrance exam and were not permitted to have their phones. That made information hard to come by.

“I know that mine (children) are OK. They texted me,” Clark said. “They don’t have a clue what’s going on. At least they didn’t the last time I heard from them. They’re SAT testing today. They didn’t have their phones so it took me quite a while to get a hold of them. It was very scary; I didn’t take a breath for about 30 minutes it felt like, until that response text message.”

Early dismissal procedure

The Granite City High School administration asks that parents not come to the high school until they are notified to do so following the report of the possible threat.

At 11 a.m., the administration announced a noon release of students with specific instruction for parents to enter of State Street only and exit on Fehling Road.

They were asked not to leave their vehicles.

A member of the school staff is tracking the names of students as they depart. Students were not in their regular classrooms due to standardized testing that was taking place Wednesday.

Granite City Police alerted to possible threat

Police vehicles were circling Granite City High School for blocks and a SWAT Team truck was on the scene at the Community Unit District 9 Madison Avenue campus on Wednesday morning.

Granite City Police were alerted to a possible threat, according to a statement from the school district. Multiple police agencies and the FBI were at the school.

“It has been determined that all students and staff at Granite City High School and Coolidge Junior High are safe and the GCPD will be handing reunification with the district,” says the statement, which was signed by Superintendent Stephanie Cann.

Anxious parents wait outside school

At 10:30 a.m., the school was surrounded by police cars and ambulances with flashing lights and individual officers were outside entrances.

Many anxious parents were parked outside the school.

A neighbor watching from the edge of the schoolyard said two helicopters landed in a park next to the school.

A threat against Granite City High School was posted on social media March 2, a day after a pair of fights between students in a hallway at the school.

A similar rash of threats at multiple metro-east high schools was made in September.

Denise Bennett was outside the school talking on the telephone with her daughter, a special education teacher who was inside.

“She said that all her kids were safe and accounted for. The principal told them to stay in place, to stay locked down until further notification. I said, ‘Are you scared?’ And she said, `Of course I’m scared, mom, but I have to hold it together for the kids. “

Police were going from room to room inside the school, checking each one to make sure the students and staff were safe. They checked Bennett’s daughter’s room, locked the door and left.

Text of the school district’s statement

“Dear GCSD9 Families,

The Granite City Police Department was alerted to a possible threat at Granite City High School. GCPD took quick action and were on site almost immediately after the threat was made.

It has been determined that all students and staff at Granite City High School and Coolidge Junior High are safe and the GCPD will be handing reunification with the district.

Parents should not come to Granite City High School until notified. Reunification will take place at Granite City High School. All pertinent information will be shared as soon as it’s available. Please know that the safety of our students and staff is the priority at this time.”

This is a breaking news story. More information will be reported as it becomes available.