NEW: Arrests Made For Weapons Near Burncoat, Worcester Tech Today

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

GoLocalWorcester News Team

A total of six students, five at Worcester Tech and one at Burncoat High School, along with another individual were arrested today after being in possession of weapons just outside their respective schools.

Superintendent Melinda Boone released a statement on the incidents.

The full statement is below:

After 1pm today, a call was dispatched to the WPD reporting five males in a Car in the student parking lot at Worcester Technical High School. The males were students of WTHS and were in possession of pellet guns and knives. The students were all arrested without incident. The arrested students will undergo a disciplinary process according to protocol for Worcester Public Schools. Unrelated to the incident, WTHS was practicing lockdown procedures at the same time.

In a separate and unrelated incident, a WPS police liaison had been monitoring a suspicious individual in the vicinity of Burncoat High School. At 2pm on Tuesday, the liaison noticed the individual again, ACROSS THE STREET FROM BURNCOAT HIGH SCHOOL, with a student from Burncoat High School. When the pair noticed the liaison, they ran towards the woods near Dennis Drive and Burncoat Street, and discarded something. The liaison found a loaded handgun in that area. The police liaison and other officers continued to apprehend the individuals and arrest them. As a result of the incident, Burncoat Middle School, Thorndyke School and Wawecus School implemented light lockdown procedures. Those lockdowns were lifted once WPD had the suspects in custody. Parents of all schools will receive a Connect-Ed message from the principals of the impacted schools.

Dr. Melinda J. Boone
Superintendent
Worcester Public Schools