Live round found in 6th-grade classroom

NEWGARDEN» A live rifle round was discovered in a sixth-grade classroom at Kennett Middle School by the cleaning crew early Wednesday morning, prompting a soft lockdown as a safety precaution.

A thorough search of the school was conducted with the aid of police K-9 units. Message alerts were promptly sent to all parents of children in the middle school.

New Garden Chief Gerald Simpson said police found no evidence of criminal activity.

“We had thorough but positive interaction with the children,” he said. “My guess is someone carried (the live round) in unknowingly, possibly on a book bag or an article of clothing, and it fell out and was left behind.”

The lockdown was initiated to minimize pedestrian traffic in the building and to facilitate safety controls, Simpson said. Police interviewed the cleaning crew who found the round, and anyone who would have been in the vicinity. Interviews were conducted with the assigned teacher, followed by the children who sat near where the object was located.

Simpson said the live round was a small caliber, but wouldn’t elaborate.

“It could have been something that got caught on the sole of a shoe and transferred into the classroom,” he said. “I applaud the efficient and calm manner taken by school officials to ensure everyone’s safety. Their response was necessary and it quickly determined that the children were safe and not at risk, which allowed normal operations to resume with minimal disruption.”

Simpson said the investigation is closed, and the incident is not being classified as a crime.