Eight schools were put on “modified” lockdown Thursday morning as police investigated two reports of shots fired on the east and west sides of town.
That’s according to two separate emails sent out on Thursday by the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) district and the New Haven Police Department.
City police are investigating the two shootings — the first of which took place near Quinnipiac and Barnes avenues, the second near West Park and Whalley avenues — as one incident. No gunshot victims were reported in either incident.
The first email alert about the shootings and school lockdowns was sent out at 10:14 a.m. by NHPS to public school community members. That email alert stated that a total of eight schools had been put on “modified lockdown” earlier in the day.
Those schools included Ross Woodward, Bishop Woods, Edgewood, Davis, Mauro Sheridan, Beecher, Elm City Montessori, and Hillhouse.
“The safety of our students is paramount,” the email alert stated. “Out of an abundance of caution, we placed eight schools on modified lockdown this morning as police investigated two reports of shootings in different neighborhoods. In a modified lockdown, access to a school building is limited to students and staff but classes proceed as usual. We lifted the lockdowns once the police assured us it was safe to do so.”
The email continued by stating that two juveniles had been arrested in one of the shootings.
At 4:16 p.m., New Haven Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Cherelle Carr sent out a separate email press release about the two shootings that led to the school lockdowns.
At around 7:39 a.m., city police received a report of shots fired in the area of Quinnipiac Avenue and Barnes Avenue, she wrote. Responding officers learned that the shots had been fired by the occupant of a moving vehicle.
ShotSpotter was activated in the area of Quinnipiac and Barnes, and detectives found ballistic evidence on scene. “Subsequently, all schools in the area of the shooting were immediately placed on a precautionary lock down.”
A few minutes later, at 7:44 a.m., police responded to the report of a “running vehicle’ that had been left unoccupied at Ferry Street and Lombard Street. Officers responded to the scene, and believe that that vehicle is connected with the initial report of shots fired at Quinnipiac and Barnes.
Then, Carr wrote, at 8:32 a.m., police received a second report of shots fired in the area of West Park and Whalley Avenue. Responding officers learned that “two juveniles were seen fleeing from a stolen vehicle in the area” of West Park and Whalley.
Patrol officers canvassed the area and found the two juveniles at Whalley and Ellsworth. The two juveniles have been arrested for the stolen vehicle.
ShotSpotter was not activated in the area of West Park and Whalley, and ballistic evidence was found on scene.
“All three incidents are being investigated as one incident,” Carr wrote. “There were no gun-shot victims reported from either report of shots being fired. All vehicles involved have been towed for processing.
“All schools that were locked down due to the incidents that took place have resumed to a modified lockdown. Students will resume normal activities, but no one will enter or leave the school.”
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have information valuable to investigators to call detectives at 203 – 946-6304 or through the department’s anonymous tip-line at 866 – 888-TIPS (8477).
