Lockdown lifted after threat at Rolesville High found not credible

"These steps are taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our students and faculty," Principal Dhedra Lassiter said in a message to parents Wednesday morning.

Panicky parents lined Young Street outside the school, saying students had texted them about the lockdown and to tell them they were hiding in spots around the building.

“They sent this long email, and that is all they are telling us," parent Crystal Harris said of the lack of updates from the school. "They are telling us we can’t get our kids. That is it. That is what they always send us, the same generic letter every time.”

“You kind of want to drop everything because you don’t really know what is going on, and you just want to be there for whenever you can get to your child," parent David Tate said.

By 3 p.m., Rolesville police had determined the threat wasn't credible, and students were dismissed on a staggered schedule.

No details about the threat were released.

"We always want to be transparent with our families when an incident such as this arises. Unfortunately, releasing pertinent information often has the potential to harm an investigation while it is being conducted," Lassiter said in a message after the lockdown was lifted. "Safety of our students and staff is always the highest priority. Our goal is to provide you with all the information we can while keeping safety in mind."

The Wake County Public School System doesn't keep records on lockdowns, but there have been at least nine since Sept. 8, based on the number of messages principals have emailed to parents. Most have been code yellow lockdowns, although there was a code red lockdown at Salem Elementary School, in Apex, last Thursday.