Students are safe after an incident at an alternative high school in Concord, according to school and law enforcement officials.
“At this juncture, the incident is contained,” the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday morning. “While one individual is dead from an apparent suicide, no additional students, faculty or staff were physically harmed.”
At roughly 10:30 a.m., city police, New Hampshire State Police and the state prosecutors were at Second Start Alternative High School at 450 N. State St., where crime scene tape roped off the area.
“We are shocked and saddened beyond words,” the school said in a statement. “We will face the coming days by supporting each other and we will have counselors available for our students and staff. We will communicate directly with our school community as to what the next steps will be moving forward.”
Concord police said in a statement on Twitter Wednesday morning that there was no threat to the public. Police asked that people avoid the area if possible.
Second Start is an alternative high school with about 32 students. High schools can pay tuition to send students there who have not succeeded in a traditional learning environment. Second Start does not issue its own diplomas, which are given out by the sending school.
Besides the alternative high school, Second Start runs a number of other nearby programs, including a daycare, which was running as usual on Wednesday. Daycare parents were contacted and told there was no reason to pick up their children.
At Concord High School, which is several miles away, lockdown procedures were not implemented, interim Principal Michael Reardon said.
“We are continuing to closely monitor the situation,” Reardon said in a recorded call to parents Wednesday morning. He urged parents with questions to contact him.
If you or someone you know might be at risk for suicide, contact The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. For additional resources, visit theconnectprogram.org.