Bullets Found at Dighton Rehoboth

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School was once again placed under lockdown Wednesday after live bullets were discovered in a boy’s bathroom.

The Dighton Police posted this message on their website:

At approximately 9:30 a.m., Dighton and Rehoboth Police responded to the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School after receiving a report that two live rounds of ammunition had been found by a student inside a boy’s lavatory. The student reported the ammunition to the school administration.

School officials immediately notified the Dighton and Rehoboth Police Departments and a joint investigation was launched.

The school was placed in lockdown and mutual aid K-9 units from the Rehoboth, Dartmouth, Fall River and Providence Police Departments responded to the scene along with a K-9 unit from the Bristol County Sherriff’s Office to search the school.

No other suspicious items were found within the school during the K-9 search of the building.

The lockdown was lifted at approximately 12:30 p.m.  Then, approximately two minutes after the lockdown was lifted, a faulty smoke detector sounded off the fire alarm and all students were safely evacuated from the building. A police presence was with students outside of the building at all times until students and staff were allowed to safely return to the building about 20 minutes later.

This incident follows a report of threatening graffiti that was found inside the same boy’s bathroom at the high school yesterday. The school was placed into lockdown yesterday out of an abundance of caution a police responded to the scene to investigate, however, the threat yesterday was deemed not credible.

Both incidents are actively being investigated by Dighton and Rehoboth Police and police are investigating to determine if the incidents are related.

Principal John Gould sent a letter to parents, which said: Throughout the day, the police have been on site to ensure that our school is safe. The local police continue to investigate the cause of today’s lockdown. As a result of the ongoing police investigation, the administration is unable to comment beyond saying that two bullets were found in the restroom this morning. Later in the day a smoke detector went off causing the school to be evacuated. Students returned to class once the fire department, in cooperation with local law enforcement, gave the all clear. The evacuation was caused by a faulty smoke detector.

The high school graduation ceremony is going to be held Saturday afternoon.

“We have a police presence at our graduation and we review the graduation program with them beforehand,” Azar told the Reporter. “This collaboration puts safety first and foremost for our graduates, their families and our staff.”