Police: Teen 'Victim' Lied About Gun Incident at Concord High School

Police have dropped criminal threatening charges against a male teen who was arrested in connection with a gun incident at Concord High School on Tuesday, saying the alleged victim lied about the events.

In a statement issued minutes ago, Concord Police Lt. Timothy O’Malley, the commander of the department’s criminal investigations unit, said detectives assigned to the case “conducted a follow up interview with the alleged victim,” a teenage girl around 16 years of age, and dropped the charges against the other student.

UPDATE: Police: "This was all a fabrication"

Original story: "Very serious" incident unfolding at Concord High School

“As a result of this interview, detectives determined that the victim had lied about events and that the incident had not occurred as originally reported,” O’Malley said. “The original suspect was subsequently released from custody and is currently facing no charges.”

Police were sent to the high school around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving reports of a student threatening another student with a gun. The building was placed in lockdown and evacuated. The male teenager was arrested off the school grounds, according to a school official.

Concord High School Principal Eugene Connolly sent a letter to parents today about the incident, making it clear that there was no gun involved in the incident. "It was a false report that has been recanted," he wrote.

[A full copy of the principal's letter is attached as a PDF to the right.]

Connolly said faculty and staff have been provided with several talking points to share with students.

"Please be assured that protecting the safety of our students, staff, and faculty will continue to be our highest priority," he said. "As information becomes available, I will share it with you."

Concord Police will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. to provide further details about the case.