On Thursday, Dec. 8, Pembroke Academy headmaster Dr. Morris was notified by Superintendent Sherman that there was an active shooter at Saint John’s School in Concord and that PA’s CRTC students at Concord High School were in a “secure campus,” meaning no one was allowed to enter or leave the building.

Dr. Morris said that he knew the CRTC students were safe at Concord High School, and he later found out the active shooter threat was a hoax that affected many districts throughout New Hampshire that day. 

PA staff also stayed in communication with the staff at CHS. “Once we got the all clear, we knew that our seniors would come back, but what we needed to figure out was whether or not our juniors would have enough time to be part of their programs once there was an all clear,” said Dr. Morris. 

The junior CRTC students  were not sent to CHS .

Nonetheless,  the hoax caused  anxiety and distress in some students and staff. 

“I do not know anyone [at Saint Johns], but I feel awful every time a story like this comes out, regardless if I know the people involved,” said English teacher Mrs. LeComte.“I hate that there are people who are so evil in this world that they feel the need to cause panic and trauma. Again, shootings are a daily occurrence in our country.”

Still, this hoax  was taken seriously by school administrators throughout the state. Dr. Morris said he spoke with Pembroke’s police chief, who was  on the scene at Saint John’s and said it was taken incredibly seriously .

Dr. Morris said when he found out the shooting was a hoax, he was  feeling “relieved, yet frustrated.”