Wilton Police said that on Tuesday morning, Feb. 27, a “school-aged person” not currently enrolled as a student at Wilton High School entered the school building. After the person was located “with the assistance of the Wilton Police,” the person was released to the “custody of a parent.”
A press release issued later in the day by the police department said that there had been “no threats made to the safety of the school occupants,” and that everyone in the school was safe.
Several parents were first alerted to the issue by a social media post on Facebook that falsely alleged there was a “gunman” on the school grounds. Sgt. Steven Rangel told GOOD Morning Wilton at the time there was “no cause for concern,” and that the post was incorrect.
Police Information Officer, Lt. Anna Tornello told GMW that she issued the press release “to reassure those who had read the [Facebook] post that there was no threat to the safety of the students.”
Shortly after 12 p.m., WHS principal Dr. Robert O’Donnell sent the same message to members of the WHS community, with almost exactly the same wording as the police report.
According to the police and school officials, the person entered the school around 10:14 a.m. Tuesday morning, but “did not do so through an unlocked door.”
The release also noted that “as soon as the school administration was made aware that the person was in the building, they enacted their security protocols.” GMW has asked both the Wilton Police and school administrators for further clarification on what security measures were taken and how officials learned about the trespasser.
Tornello said that patrol officers responded to the school along with the school resource officer. Officers determined that the individual had been in the building “for a brief period of time before leaving the property.”
According to O’Donnell’s message, the person who had “entered our building in an unauthorized manner” was located around 10:45 a.m. off-campus. The unidentified person was found “in cooperation with the Wilton Police Department” and “placed into custody of a parent.”
Both police and school officials declined to offer further comment on Tuesday — Superintendent Kevin Smith said he would provide more information on Wednesday morning, and Lt. Tornello said she would be able to answer “some” of the questions posed by GMW once the investigation is completed.
Parents took to social media Tuesday evening to express their frustration and dissatisfaction with the school’s response. Several were unhappy the school did not go into lockdown despite an intruder having entered the building and questioned why the trespasser was released to a parent’s custody. Some wrote that they did not feel their children would be safe in the school and posted they were not reassured by O’Donnell’s message.
GOOD Morning Wilton is continuing coverage of this developing story, and it will be updated once more information is available from both police and officials.