‭May 16, 2024‬

‭Dear Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Community,‬

I‭ ‬ ‭am‬ ‭writing‬ ‭to‬ ‭share‬ ‭information‬ ‭regarding‬ ‭the‬ ‭serious‬ ‭incident‬ ‭that‬ ‭occurred‬ ‭at‬ ‭school‬ ‭today.‬ ‭At‬
‭approximately‬ ‭11:18‬ ‭AM,‬ ‭during‬ ‭lunch,‬ ‭we‬ ‭received‬ ‭a‬ ‭bomb‬ ‭threat‬ ‭call‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭main‬ ‭office‬ ‭from‬ ‭an‬
‭unknown‬ ‭caller.‬ ‭The‬ ‭caller‬ ‭stated‬ ‭later‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭call‬ ‭that‬ ‭they‬ ‭were‬ ‭hiding‬ ‭in‬‭a‬‭bathroom,‬‭had‬‭a‬‭gun,‬‭had‬
‭placed‬‭bombs‬‭in‬‭student‬‭backpacks,‬‭and‬‭had‬‭placed‬‭explosive‬‭devices‬‭all‬‭around‬‭the‬‭building.‬‭The‬‭B-CC‬
‭administration‬ ‭called‬ ‭911‬‭immediately‬‭and‬‭Montgomery‬‭County‬‭Police‬‭Department‬‭members‬‭arrived.‬‭A‬
‭shelter-in-place‬ ‭was‬ ‭announced‬ ‭and‬ ‭immediately‬ ‭after‬ ‭a‬ ‭lockdown‬ ‭was‬ ‭initiated.‬ ‭We‬ ‭coordinated‬
‭community‬ ‭messaging‬ ‭with‬ ‭our‬ ‭police‬ ‭partners‬ ‭to‬ ‭ensure‬ ‭that‬ ‭our‬ ‭school‬ ‭community‬ ‭was‬‭aware‬‭of‬‭the‬
‭lockdown.‬

‭ nce‬‭MCPD‬‭arrived,‬‭they‬‭assumed‬‭command‬‭of‬‭the‬‭situation.‬‭During‬‭the‬‭lockdown‬‭MCPD‬ ‭conducted‬‭a‬
O
‭thorough‬‭evaluation‬‭of‬‭the‬‭building‬‭and‬‭completed‬‭a‬‭full‬‭sweep‬‭of‬‭the‬‭building,‬‭ending‬‭their‬‭investigation‬
‭at‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭PM.‬ ‭It‬‭is‬‭important‬‭to‬‭note‬‭that‬‭this‬‭situation‬‭was‬‭thoroughly‬‭investigated‬‭by‬‭MCPD‬‭based‬‭on‬‭a‬
‭variety‬ ‭of‬ ‭factors‬ ‭including‬ ‭the‬ ‭fact‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬ ‭caller‬ ‭remained‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬ ‭line‬ ‭answering‬ ‭questions,‬ ‭the‬
‭specificity‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭threat,‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭police’s‬ ‭inability‬ ‭to‬ ‭determine‬ ‭the‬ ‭veracity‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭threat,‬ ‭the‬ ‭police‬
‭determined a need to complete a full sweep of the building.‬

I‭ ‬‭would‬‭like‬‭to‬‭express‬‭my‬‭sincerest‬‭appreciation‬‭for‬‭how‬‭our‬‭students,‬‭staff,‬‭and‬‭visitors‬‭who‬‭were‬‭in‬‭the‬
‭building‬ ‭during‬ ‭today's‬ ‭event‬ ‭handled‬ ‭themselves.‬ ‭While‬ ‭this‬ ‭was‬ ‭an‬‭incredibly‬‭stressful‬‭and‬‭traumatic‬
‭event,‬ ‭everyone‬ ‭in‬ ‭our‬ ‭building‬ ‭did‬ ‭everything‬ ‭that‬ ‭we‬ ‭asked‬ ‭them‬ ‭to‬ ‭when‬ ‭the‬ ‭shelter‬ ‭and‬ ‭lockdown‬
‭announcements‬ ‭were‬ ‭made‬ ‭and‬ ‭fully‬ ‭cooperated‬ ‭with‬ ‭staff‬ ‭as‬ ‭we‬ ‭went‬ ‭through‬ ‭it.‬ ‭We‬‭will‬‭continue‬‭to‬
‭work with our school community to refine our processes and procedures in response to emergencies.‬

‭ inally,‬ ‭I‬ ‭know‬‭that‬‭I‬‭am‬‭still‬‭processing‬‭the‬‭two‬‭distinct‬‭serious‬‭incidents‬‭that‬‭have‬‭occurred‬‭this‬‭week‬

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‭and‬‭recognize‬‭that‬‭everyone‬‭will‬‭deal‬‭with‬‭it‬‭differently‬‭and‬‭on‬‭different‬‭timelines.‬‭Some‬‭will‬‭deal‬‭with‬‭it‬
‭immediately‬ ‭and‬ ‭others‬ ‭will‬ ‭need‬ ‭time‬ ‭and‬ ‭space,‬ ‭while‬ ‭others‬ ‭may‬ ‭struggle‬ ‭to‬ ‭identify‬ ‭their‬ ‭feelings‬
‭around‬ ‭these‬ ‭incidents.‬ ‭We‬ ‭will‬ ‭have‬ ‭additional‬ ‭mental‬ ‭health‬ ‭staff‬ ‭onsite‬ ‭tomorrow‬‭for‬‭any‬‭student‬‭or‬
‭staff‬ ‭member‬ ‭who‬ ‭needs‬ ‭to‬ ‭speak‬ ‭to‬ ‭someone‬ ‭or‬ ‭have‬ ‭a‬ ‭space‬ ‭to‬ ‭quietly‬ ‭process.‬ ‭The‬ ‭support‬ ‭will‬‭be‬
‭based‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭Counseling‬‭office‬‭for‬‭students‬‭and‬‭the‬‭Main‬‭Office‬‭Conference‬‭Room‬‭for‬‭staff‬‭and‬‭anyone‬
‭who‬ ‭needs‬ ‭support‬ ‭should‬ ‭report‬ ‭to‬ ‭that‬ ‭location.‬ ‭We‬ ‭will‬ ‭also‬ ‭have‬ ‭an‬ ‭increased‬ ‭security‬ ‭presence‬ ‭at‬
‭school tomorrow.‬

I‭ n‬‭addition,‬‭I‬‭have‬‭asked‬‭all‬‭teachers‬‭to‬‭cancel‬‭class-based‬‭assessments‬‭tomorrow.‬‭Scheduled‬‭AP‬‭and‬‭IB‬
‭exams will continue as previously scheduled.‬

‭ hank‬‭you‬‭for‬‭your‬‭continued‬‭support‬‭as‬‭we‬‭process‬‭this‬‭event.‬‭Please‬‭reach‬‭out‬‭to‬‭the‬‭school‬‭if‬‭you‬‭have‬
T
‭any questions.‬

‭Sincerely,‬

‭ helton Mooney, Ed.D.‬

S
‭Principal‬