It all started with a rumor and culminated with upset parents threatening to pull their children out of Bradford Area School District.

On Friday, a report of an alleged threat of violence at Bradford Area High School was made.

Superintendent Katharine Pude said the school district had received information from the school resource officer who heard from a student that a situation was going to occur at the high school.

“(The SRO) took it very, very seriously, as he should,” Pude said. “And so we put the (high school) building in ‘shelter in place’ (status), which is our lowest level of a drill.”

Pude said, at the same time, administrators had investigated the threat and found it was not credible. She said that during the course of sheltering in place, several area law enforcement agencies were alerted by radio communication and went to the high school.

“They came en masse, as we would want them to do,” Pude continued. “But that evoked fear and trauma in our parents.”

Police Chief Chris Lucco said officers had “received information regarding the same thing (the school had already investigated) but with more vagueness.”

There was no way to immediately gauge that it was the same threat, so officers responded “as we’d respond to an active threat.”

The chief added, “There was no way to tie it together — you don’t have the time to tie it together.”

The en masse arrival of armed law enforcement was frightening for students and parents, Pude said, but added it was appropriate.

Lucco said, “Within minutes of arrival it was determined this situation had already been investigated and the school was released back to normal functionality within 18 to 20 minutes.

It was clear the situation we were responding to had already been deemed to have no credibility and no immediate risk.”

As for the students and parents who are alarmed at the response, Lucco said officers followed protocol.

“From a police department standpoint, and as a parent of multiple students in the district, I took the situation serious and we responded per protocol,” the chief said. “I would rather respond with more resources and a higher response level than needed rather than take something for granted and rely on hindsight that we were wrong.”

He acknowledged that students and parents were scared, and said he could certainly relate.

While Friday’s was at least the fifth threat situation in the district this week, Lucco said there had been no indication in any of the instances that the threats would or could be carried out.

“We never came to the point where we felt anybody had a plan or the means to execute any sort of threat,” the chief said. “However, when we receive these threats, certainly learning from other departments’ experiences, we aren’t going to take a threat lightly and be in a position that we shouldn’t have.”

Pude reiterated that the response by law enforcement was appropriate as she “wouldn’t want them to take things lightly, ever.”

“If anything, our parents and children should know that we have that close of a relationship (with law enforcement) and we’ve done so many drills … that (the police) came fast,” Pude added.  “That alone does my heart good, because I know we have a quick response.”

Pude said one thing she would like to change with the drills is communication with parents and students.

“We have to find a way to communicate with parents so they don’t panic,” she admitted. “We will get better.”

She said the district will work on the various aspects of communication at the different campuses to better alert parents should such an incident ever occur again.

Along those lines, Pude said a “large amount” of students were pulled from the school by parents who were concerned with the presence of law enforcement at the campus early Friday.

“When the kids at the high school saw the large police presence they really thought there was something more and it scared them” and their parents, she observed. “So, we allowed parents to pick them up.”

The chief said people’s behavior is unpredictable, but added that the officers “take the safety of the students very seriously and it’s a priority.” Nevertheless, he said he feels the recent threats in the district are “attention-seeking behaviors.”

“Our student population need to understand if threats are made in a joking manner, this joke could potentially follow them around the rest of someone’s life,” Lucco said. “I can only guarantee we are diligent on any threat received.

“We follow up on mental health and criminal avenues as soon as a threat or perceived threat is received,” he said. “I’m confident in saying there has not been a threat that has not been immediately addressed.”

Are the chief’s children still enrolled and attending Bradford schools?

“They certainly are,” he said without a moment’s hesitation.