A student at Weedsport High School allegedly poured flammable liquid on a classroom door and tried to set it ablaze Thursday morning, carrying two kitchen knives and a meat tenderizer before a teacher and fellow students stepped in to prevent the door from catching fire. No one was hurt, and authorities say there was no ongoing threat once the situation was contained.
The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said deputies were notified around 7:55 a.m. that the student had attempted to ignite the door, according to WRGB. Weedsport Superintendent Gregory Stone said the student poured a flammable liquid on the door, as reported by CNY Central. A teacher and other students intervened and stopped the door from catching fire, the outlet reported.
Knives and a Meat Tenderizer Found on Campus
Deputies searching the student found two kitchen knives and a meat tenderizer, according to the sheriff's office. The school was placed under a hold-in-place order while law enforcement investigated, a measure that kept students and staff secured inside the building during the response, per the same account. Investigators ultimately determined there was no ongoing threat and no one was injured in the incident.
Superintendent Stone also said no firearms or guns were involved or found anywhere on the Weedsport campus, according to Finger Lakes Daily News. The sheriff's office has not identified the student or announced any charges. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office at 315-253-1222.
Second School Scare in Cayuga County Within Days
The Weedsport incident came just one day after a separate scare at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. On Oct. 21, deputies responded to that school after a report of a student with handguns on school grounds, per the same account, and found the student in possession of two BB guns. The student's identity in that incident was also not released.
That BOCES campus in Auburn went into lockdown during the response, according to syracuse.com. Staff members contacted the student and recovered the two BB guns, the outlet reported. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police and Auburn police all responded and cleared the school, finding no further threats, syracuse.com noted. No arrests or charges had been announced in that case, and deputies said the investigation remained ongoing.
The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating both the Weedsport and BOCES incidents. Neither case has produced a confirmed arrest or set of charges as of Thursday's reporting.
