Intruder Sparks Evacuation at Parkland High School
Police from throughout Lehigh County responded to an emergency report at Parkland High School Friday evening.
Updated Saturday, Sept. 15:
The manhunt for an intruder at Parkland High School turned out to be a false alarm.
Law enforcement and school officials said a high school student trying to get in shape for military boot camp inadvertently triggered the massive emergency response Friday. His behavior had appeared suspicious to a Parkland teacher, but it was innocent, officials said.
Updated 8 p.m, Friday, Sept. 14:
Police are searching for an intruder - preliminary reports say a white man wearing camouflage pants - who fled when approached at Parkland High School, 2700 N. Cedar Crest Blvd., before 6 p.m. Friday.
Traffic in that area of Cedar Crest is being diverted.
All students are out of the high school and the building was locked down as of 6:30 p.m.
The intruder is described as wearing camouflage pants and a tan vest with something "very bulky" underneath, according to a Breaking News Network alert.
The Morning Call reports that a student said a guy with a "packed vest" is in the school.
Activities including tonight's volleyball game at the school have been canceled. This week's football game is at Northampton High School.
The response includes a K-9 unit, mobile command unit, SWAT officers and a state police helicopter. A command post has been set up south of the high school in the lower parking lot. Police units from across Lehigh County are responding.
Nicole McGalla, district spokeswoman, said the Parkland football team, band and cheerleaders will not be brought back to the high school after the football game against Northampton. Instead, students will be dropped off at the district's Troxell Building on Cedar Crest Boulevard on school buses. With access to the high school prohibited because of the on-going activity, any students who left their cars at the high school won't be able to pick them up until Saturday
Parkland recently held a drill to practice emergency response to a gunman and multiple casualties on school property. Dozens of police and emergency responders participated in the drill last month. A similar drill was also held at a Nazareth school over the summer.
Sheriffchris
6:58 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Probably a false alarm , an over reaction...let us hope and pray so !
Susan Koomar
7:24 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Hey Sheriffchris, police radio reports sound like all of the police who responded are staging to sweep the school and try to find the suspicious intruder reported. All media are being directed off the school property to meet at Target, so we'll provide updates as soon as we find out more.
Glenn Glennerson
7:38 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
a 25000 dollar false alarm?
tamarya
8:10 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Glenn the cost means nothing, look at the plane that was diverted for a hoax. You think a prankster cares about the money involved, and do you not think police will bring out all neccessary people thinking it is false with all the bullcrap that goes on today.
Glenn Glennerson
10:21 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
tamarya: the costs mean everything when there was no reason for it other than a panicky teacher (whats a teacher doing there at 5PM???) rather than doing due diligence the teacher sets of a massive code red that results in tens of thousands of dollars in tax money being spent for no reason whatsoever.
Parkland needs to reimburse all the police departments for actual costs including overtime
Just like a commercial fire false alarm, BILL EM IN FULL for the response
Carl W
7:46 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
The "guy with the packed vest" running through.???
I come from fire service. You don't terrorize/scare students, etc, for a drill. Such could cause anything from falling down steps, to heart attacks. (Fire drills w/ apparatus responding - we sent letters home for parents, and made it very clear that there would be a fire drill at [say 2.p.m.], and that fire trucks will drive up very slowly. Yes, kids got nervous, however, they also got familiar with what happens in a real fire (no artificial smoke), and apparatus drove up from very nearby, VERY slowly. We dropped hose line, and went in full gear in to the schools. ALL slowly, with teachers repeating, " no fire, just a drill," etc.....
I seriously doubt this was a drill. New Al Qaeda riding up from the dust. Just because hierarchy was destroyed, and tons of info acquired, doesn't mean there gone.
Biggest priority for both general public, and emergency responses: PANIC is always the biggest killer, and I can't emphsize that enough!!
Carl W
7:49 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Do remember, it may STILL have been a drill, & the runner may have been a professional set up to do what he did.
Glenn Glennerson
7:55 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
why close all the roads for miles and miles
Glenn Glennerson
8:46 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
pretty intense operation according to the scanner reports, room by room search
Susan Koomar
9:02 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Anyone who would like to listen to the police radio transmissions can find them here: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=981
Susan Koomar
9:03 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
9 p.m. Police are opening Cedar Crest at Walbert and Huckleberry to allow buses in to the high school complex, according to police radio reports
Susan Koomar
9:19 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
From PHS: Regarding the football team, cheerleaders and band and others associated with the game at Northampton School District - When the football game ends, students who rode the bus to the game will be transported back to Troxell. Any vehicles on site at PHS will not be able to be picked up until the police re-open access to PHS.
DylanCC
9:22 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Police have confirmed the reports with video
Glenn Glennerson
9:30 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
and have exited the building after search finds nothing
Susan Koomar
9:34 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Press conference in 15 minutes, officials say
Susan Koomar
9:51 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Access to the school is being reopened as of 9:50 p.m.
Susan Koomar
10:08 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
The suspicious person turns out to be a young man exercising to get in shape to enter the military. A teacher saw him and alerted authorities.
Glenn Glennerson
10:18 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Hope every police department, fire department, ambulance group and any other group that responded bills the school district for nonsense. The teacher should be suspended pending a full investigation
Mary Ellen Alu
10:31 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
No intruder @Parkland. High School student exercising, trying to get in shape for military. He paused at flag pole, sweating, and said prayer and ran off. Looked suspicious to a teacher, who called Comm Center
Rush is Right
10:32 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
would love a follow up story on how much this cost the taxpayers, a helicopter being involved has got to make the costs skyrocket
Joann
11:47 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
I was at that game today at 500 pm . And if that guy would have turned out to have a weapon. and some of the people would have been killed .Then all of you would be greatful that that teacher took the action they did. You never know today. And as of the money it cost , it can be replaced but a human body can't . I would like to thank all the officers for their time and courage and the teacher who took action !
Wallst
1:05 am on Saturday, September 15, 2012
Thanks for your post, Joann. You're about the only one that makes sense. "Rush is Right" is only worried about how many pennies is coming out of pocket, and to hell with kids and teachers lives. Typical republican.
Retired Tech.
11:58 am on Saturday, September 15, 2012
Always some idiot has to throw in politics into it.