Early Tuesday afternoon, Newtown High School was placed on “lock-in” status due to an unspecified threat which was made on Internet-based social media directly against the high school, School Superintendent Joseph Erardi, Jr, said in a statement.

At about 1:10 pm, the school was placed in a “lock-in closed teaching and learning environment,” he said.

During such situations, visitors are not allowed on school grounds and all people in the school remain inside the building.

The lock-in status was lifted at the school at 1:55 pm, he said.

During the NHS Veterans Day assembly, when students, faculty, administrators, and visiting veterans filled the school auditorium, high school staffers were already dealing with the response to the threat against the school.

A number of administrators could be seen reacting quietly on the side of the auditorium, but the assembly was unaffected. Speakers continued to speak, and the band continued to play.

After the assembly, students who did not have a class during the next period were asked to report to the school’s gymnasium, and visitors were asked to remain in the auditorium.

Access to the rest of the school was allowed, and no sense of urgency was communicated to the visitors.

After a short time, the visitors were allowed to leave the building under supervision.

Dr Erardi, NHS Principal Lorrie Rodrigue and Police Chief Michael Kehoe are scheduled to be at the school auditorium, 12 Berkshire Road, at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, November 11, to answer questions stemming from the incident.

The lock-in mode is among the security measures which school and law enforcement officials have enacted in response to 12/14.

On October 22, Middle Gate School on Cold Spring Road entered lock-in mode after an unidentified man was seen on the school grounds.

On October 1, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Monroe entered lock-in mode following a bomb threat there.