Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore shared a district-wide message following the incident that took place outside Barrington High School on Friday morning, May 10. 

Messore wrote that the incident triggered the unscheduled lockdown at the high school and the “shelter-in-place” order placed at the district’s five other schools:

“Earlier this morning, there was an incident on a field adjacent to the high school that necessitated immediate action to ensure the safety and security of all individuals on our high school campus. In response to this situation, together with our high school administration team, we followed our established safety protocols. The Barrington Police Department was immediately contacted and arrived at our high school.

“I want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. Our faculty and staff acted swiftly and decisively to implement our emergency procedures, and I commend them for their professionalism and dedication to keeping our school community safe.

“While such incidents are unsettling, I want to emphasize that both the lockdown at the high school and district-wide shelter in place order were out of an abundance of caution, and there was no direct threat or physical harm to any students, faculty, or staff. Our school resource officer, in coordination with local law enforcement, ensured that the situation was swiftly resolved, and normal school operations resumed without further incident.

“As you may be aware, I have ordered an early dismissal for our high school. We have also requested Barrington Police presence at all of our schools for the remainder of the day, as our unscheduled shelter in place order may have been unsettling for our students and staff. We’ve made our counseling staff available to provide support to any student or staff member who may need assistance processing this abrupt event. Additionally, as always, we will be reviewing our safety protocols to identify any areas for improvement and ensure that we are fully prepared to respond effectively to any future emergencies.

“I want to express my gratitude to the Barrington Police for their prompt response and assistance during this incident. Their collaboration with the Barrington High School community was instrumental in resolving the situation quickly and safely.

“As always, we remain committed to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for all members of our school community.

“While I cannot provide further details on this police matter at this time, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office.”