A Student's Darth Vader Costume Led to a School-Wide Evacuation on Star Wars Day
A Wisconsin high school student accidentally inspired a school-wide evacuation and lockdowns at other locations on Thursday.
The student showed up at Ashwaubenon High School dressed as Darth Vader for May the Fourth (also known as Star Wars Day), and a parent called the police thinking the outfit was a "ballistic-type vest," according to the city's department of public safety. In response, students were evacuated from the building while police did a sweep. A nearby middle school and community center were both put on lockdown, the school district reported.
Luckily, it didn't take long to determine that there wasn't a dangerous situation at hand. Students were only out of class "for a short time," according to Ashwaubenon Public Safety. The department's official Twitter account clarified that there "was no actual threat" and revealed that the Darth Vader costume was at the root of the incident.
Their was no actual threat at the high school a student came to school wearing a Star Wars costume with a mask.
— Ash Public Safety (@AshPublicSafety) May 4, 2017
Ashwaubenon Public Safety indicated that the concerned parent who called the police was right to do so.
"The saying 'If you see something, say something' certainly applies to this and we always encourage people to report suspicious activity," read a post on the department's Facebook page.
Given how many violent and tragic incidents have taken place at schools in recent history, it makes sense to err on the side of caution. Sadly, not every potential threat is as harmless as Star Wars cosplay.
May the Fourth be with you.
[via: Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety; WBAY.com]