Classes at Trenton Middle School and Trenton High School were disrupted Tuesday after a caller indicated a suspicious item left on the campus.
R-T Photo/Jamey Honeycutt
Officers from the Trenton Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies responded to the Trenton High School/Trenton Middle School campus Tuesday after a caller reported a suspicious item at the school. Students were evacuated to the Rock Barn and dismissed for the day from that location. TPD Chief Rex Ross said a sweep of the campus found nothing suspicious.
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Trenton Police Chief Rex Ross said a call came in to the 911 Communications Center at 1:39 p.m. indicating the existence of the item. Officers were immediately dispatched to the high school and, based on district protocol, students at both the middle school and high school were evacuated to the Rock Barn, which serves as a predetermined location for such an incident. The TPD used bomb-sniffing dogs brought in from Kansas City to “sweep” the entire TMS/THS facility, with nothing suspicious found.
Students were released from the Rock Barn to their parents and guardians at the normal dismissal time (3:10 p.m.), and students who had cars in the parking lot were allowed to leave if they had their keys with them. Once the buildings were deemed safe, students and teachers were allowed to return to pick up needed items.
Students at Rissler Elementary School were not affected and were released at their usual time.
Chief Ross said the investigation into the incident is ongoing and noted that TPD was assisted by the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kansas City International Airport Police and the Kansas City Police Department along with the Trenton Fire Department and the Grundy County Ambulance Service.
Trenton R-9 Superintendent Mike Stegman said the school adminstration and staff did an “exceptional” job conducting an orderly evacuation and asked that those who learn of potential acts of violence targeting the school contact the district, the police department or the Missouri School Violence Hotline at 1-866-748-7047 or at https://www.schoolviolencehotline.com.