After Francis C. Hammond threat, ACPS reports copycat threat

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After Francis C. Hammond threat, ACPS reports copycat threat
George Washington Middle School (S. Stanton for Visit Alexandria)
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By Alexa Epitropoulos | aepitropoulos@alextimes.com

After a Twitter threat led to the lockdown and evacuation at Francis C. Hammond Middle School Thursday morning, Alexandria City Public Schools said on its social media channels that a suspected copycat threat has been made against George Washington Middle School.

Francis C. Hammond Middle School was evacuated at around 9:45 a.m. on Thursday morning due to the threat, which was made on Twitter on Wednesday night. The Alexandria Police Department spent three hours searching the building before determining at 1 p.m. that the building was safe for reentry and students were transported back to the school.

ACPS say what appears to be a copycat message on Twitter was posted since then, with similarities to the one that was posted on Hammond. Police have been notified of the message and are investigating the origin of it. 

ACPS said, while it takes threats of this nature seriously, the school will be in session on Friday and that children will be expected in school at the usual hour.

“ACPS takes any threat to the safety of our students very seriously. The safety of our students is always our first priority,” the statement from ACPS read. “We will communicate with parents as soon as possible during an emergency, but we will always ensure the safety of students and staff before beginning any communication.”

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