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For the second time in under a week, Central High went into lockdown Tuesday. In a statement sent out to parents, Central Principal Michelle Howell said the administration received a threat Tuesday morning via telephone. 

“School officials acted quickly with the school resource officers and local law enforcement to investigate the potential threat,” Howell said in the statement. “While the investigation was in progress, the school was placed on lockdown to ensure the safety of students and staff.” 

The investigation showed the threat was not credible, Howell added. 

As a precaution, even after the lockdown was lifted, students and staff were asked to remain in their classrooms in order to keep the hallways empty. Classes continued, but students weren’t able to change classes for the majority of the day. 

This comes not even a full week after the last lockdown at Central High. On Thursday, Oct. 5, school officials received a threat and locked down afternoon classes while the investigation took place. Games scheduled for Thursday night were also canceled, to err on the side of caution. 

As yet, no arrests have been made in connection with either case. To be clear, anyone calling in or otherwise making a threat to the schools could face felony charges. The last time this happened in Lunenburg, in September 2022, a 30-year-old Emporia man was arrested and charged, later convicted of one felony count of Communicating a Threat to Cause Injury to Persons on School Property. Even if the person is charged with a misdemeanor, they can face up to 120 days in jail for making such a threat. 

The Lunenburg County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation in both situations is ongoing.