Threat Prompts Evacuation Of Canon-McMillan High School

CANONSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - Canon-McMillan High School was evacuated while police investigated a threat on Thursday.

North Strabane Township Police Chief Brian Hughes says he doesn't believe the threat, left on a voicemail at the high school, was credible but police still aren't sure who called it in or why.

After evacuating, high school students were dismissed early at 11:30 a.m. Safe and accounted for, they waited in the bleachers of the stadium to be picked up.

Parents stood in line to get their children.

"I wasn't letting my kid get back on the school bus anywhere. You just don't know," said parent Gena Chronister.

School buses arrived to take the students home. The district said student drivers weren't allowed to drive home by themselves and had to either take the bus or be picked up. Students say that wasn't a big deal -- not compared to missed education during a year of mask debates and COVID quarantines.

"I did not expect today to go the way that it did. I missed all week and just want to get caught up on my work and can't do that," said junior Casey Miller.

"It's interfering with our education. We won't get the education we need to. This is junior year and we need to buckle down so we can apply to colleges," said junior Zoey Stumpf.

Emergency crews spent hours sweeping the building from top to bottom searching for anything suspicious. North Strabane Township Police, who are heading up the investigation alongside the district, says nothing credible has been found. While that's good news, parents and students say it was another disruption to a week that's already been a tough one.

"Considering they've never evacuated like this before, it made us very concerned. Because why are you evacuating the way you're evacuating?" said parent Gena Chronister.

Students were allowed to get their cars and any personal belongings still in the building from 3:30 to 5:30 through the main entrance.

They'll be back in school tomorrow.

Investigators say if they find the person responsible for calling in this threat, they say they could face a hefty fine and misdemeanor charges.