Bullet Triggers Lockdown at Nazareth Area Middle School

The Nazareth Area Middle School was under a precautionary lockdown for an hour Wednesday morning after a bullet was found on the floor in the boys bathroom, school officials and Upper Nazareth police said.

"We're all good now," Upper Nazareth Community Policing Officer W.K. Arthur said outside the school to Nazareth Patch shortly after the lockdown was declared over at 11:30 a.m.

Arthur showed Nazareth Patch the bullet that was found and said he believed it possibly fell out of the pocket of a hunter. It was a .22-caliber bullet.

School officials sent notices out to parents that an eighth-grade male student reported to the Main Office that he found a bullet on the floor in the eighth-grade boys bathroom.

The administration reviewed all video footage and interviewed several students who were observed entering the identified bathroom area, a statement from Schools Superintendent Dennis Riker's office stated.

"As a precautionary measure, the Middle School was placed into a lockdown, at which time the Administration checked all lockers of eighth-grade male students, and each male student was scanned with a metal detector wand for possession of any metal items," the statement said.

No additional suspicious items were found on any students.

Later in the day, Middle School Principal Robert L. Kern Jr. sent a letter to parents and guardians explaining the lockdown.

"The students were very well behaved and cooperative throughout the entire process," Kern said. "The cooperation of students, staff and parents during this situation is greatly appreciated. As with previous situations, this decision was made to protect the health, safety and welfare of all students, and as such, this will continue to be my top priority."

Parents and residents alerted Patch.com Wednesday morning about a "precautionary lockdown."

Nazareth Area Middle School has been in the news of late after a drama teacher was accused of sexual assault against a boy.