March 16, 2023 Security Update

Dear Caro Community Schools Families, 
 

This morning a middle school staff member received a report from a student that an individual had made specific threats of violence related to the school. The report identified the individual as an adult who was not at the school.  School Resource Officer Robert Gaiser responded to the situation and all buildings went into a secure mode according to the protocol for a threat or potential threat that is not in our buildings. We continued in secure mode as a precautionary measure while the Caro Police Department and Tuscola Sheriff’s Department investigated the report. 

After spending much of the morning in secure mode, and while the police were working to complete their investigation, the individual identified in the report arrived on district property and attempted to enter the middle school through normal arrival procedures. The administration immediately announced a lockdown at the middle school and all other district buildings followed the same procedures. A Caro Police Officer who was already at the building, confronted the individual and they were apprehended. The person was not carrying a weapon. After consultation with Caro Police, the lockdown was lifted and the buildings remained in a secure mode. Eventually the Tuscola County Sheriff Department placed the individual in custody and removed them from the property for further questioning. After the individual was removed from school property, the secure mode was lifted as advised by the Caro Police Department. Students and staff then resumed normal activities for the remainder of the school day. 

Thank you to the Caro Police Officers for their quick response to the situation and continued support and communication throughout the event. Thank you also to the Caro Community Schools administration and staff who implemented the emergency response procedures as needed to assure the safety of students. Finally, we appreciate the patience from our families throughout the event today. Your cooperation is an essential part of our safety plan. Traffic in and out of our buildings during an emergency response reduces the ability of our staff and School Resource Officer to maintain the safety of our students. While it is difficult to wait from a distance for the all clear, please know that we will do all that we can to keep you informed of events in our schools during an emergency.
 

Sincerely, 
 

George Rierson