Bethel Park school lockdown lifted after search; no weapon found

Independence Middle School was on lockdown while police investigated a potential threat

BETHEL PARK, Pa. —

Independence Middle School was placed on lockdown Monday after an anonymous tip reported that a student may have brought a weapon to the building, school officials said.

Bethel Park School District officials said the tip came through the Safe to Say reporting system.

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“The Bethel Park School District Police, Bethel Park Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, and City of Pittsburgh Police Department investigated the tip, and a K9 unit searched the building. No weapon was found, and the threat has been deemed non-credible,” school officials said in an updated statement Monday afternoon.

The lockdown has been lifted, and an investigation is continuing, school officials said.

District officials said Bethel Park High School was also placed under a “soft lockdown,” with no one permitted to enter or exit, but those restrictions have also been lifted.

This is a developing story. Stay with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 for updates.

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