Hand grenade confiscated at elementary school

Posted Friday, September 18, 2009 10:34 pm

The comment by the student -- who was not charged and was identified by police and school officials only as a boy of early elementary-school age -- had forced police to evacuate children and school staff members to nearby Town Hall before the school building was deemed safe enough for everyone to return and continue the school day.

According to the Hinsdale Police Department, a local emergency response team and members of the state police bomb squad were dispatched to Kittredge at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, the same day that school principal Debbie White was attending a county-wide conference on emergency preparedness at Berkshire Community College.

"We received a report that a child had brought what appeared to be a real grenade to school," Sgt. Nicole Morris told The Eagle on Friday.

Members of the state police bomb investigation unit identified the device as an "inoperable training hand grenade" after inspecting it for approximately 40 minutes, Morris said.

Article Continues After Advertisement

"Everything was safe and done by the book," she said.

According to a letter that acting Superintendent of Schools James Stankiewicz sent home to parents on Thursday, the device was believed to have come from an army surplus store.

Article Continues After These Ads

The superintendent said the student who brought in the grenade did say he was going to blow up the school, but that the boy also said he thought it was show-and-tell day.

"The students and staff were never in danger; however, all precautions were taken to ensure everyone's safety at all times," the superintendent's letter read.

Article Continues After Advertisement

The adult who confiscated the grenade was not identified.

Morris said Friday that Hinsdale police weren't planning to press criminal charges against the boy, but that the state Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident and the child's identity.

Stankiewicz said Friday that the boy's parents were immediately notified of the situation and have been asked to keep him home for a few days while the school and police departments finish their evaluations of the incident.

Stankiewicz said the child's age will be taken into consideration in the evaluation, and the school district will try to provide any support services the child and family may need.