Wakefield High School placed on lockdown due to suspected trespasser

Police and school officials did not answer questions about the incident — including what tipped them to a possible trespasser, or whether the suspected intruder had entered the school building.

Earlier in the week, a student at the same high school was found unconscious in a bathroom due to a suspected overdose and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Wakefield High School students were dismissed early as police investigated that incident on Tuesday. The school system said Wakefield would be closed for instruction Friday, but the building would be open during normal hours to provide mental health services for students and staff “who may need help processing this week’s incidents.”

The school was placed in lockdown Thursday from around 12:30 p.m. until classes ended for the day. Around 3 p.m., parents received a message from school officials saying “all students and staff are safe.”

The police’s investigation “determined the trespasser, possibly armed with a gun, is not currently on school property,” school officials said in the message.

“The safety and security of your student is our top priority,” officials said.

Arlington schools spokesman Frank Bellavia said police are still investigating. “We will have more detail when it’s complete,” he said.