STOUGHTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Some 1,200 students and staff safely evacuated and returned to Stoughton High School Thursday after several students reportedly received “AirDropped photos of explosive devices,” police said.
In a joint statement, the Stoughton Police Department and school officials said the high school was evacuated Thursday morning after multiple students received images of what were originally reported to be explosive devices.
The images appeared on their phone via AirDrop – an iPhone feature that allows users to share images that have AirDrop enabled.
Authorities said the images were shared by an “unknown individual” during an all-school assembly around 8:30 a.m., prompting a call to police and the evacuation of the school.
Students and staff were moved to O’Donnell Middle School as an investigation and sweep of the facility got underway.
Police went on to determine that the photo(s) in question was a “generic online image” that “made no specific reference to Stoughton High School,” according to the joint statement shared on the Stoughton Police Department’s Facebook page.
By 11 a.m., the school was found to be safe and the students were allowed back in.
“It is important to stress that all students and staff remained safe during this incident,” the joint-statement read. “SHS students and staff should be commended for the calm and orderly evacuation to the middle school. We also thank the O’Donnell Middle School community for being able to seamlessly welcome our high school students.”
While the incident remains under investigation, Stoughton PD and school officials said afterschool activities would take place as scheduled.
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