This afternoon, there was a shooting incident on the SUNY Morrisville campus. As a precaution, our elementary school was placed on a lockout. At that time, student walkers had already been dismissed and Pre-K students were already on their buses preparing to leave.
Working closely with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, we immediately implemented a safety plan. Students who were already on buses were brought back into the building to ensure everyone’s security. In coordination with law enforcement, we conducted a controlled, intentional dismissal, releasing one bus at a time once appropriate safety personnel were on site. By 5:50 p.m., all students had been safely dismissed.
Shortly thereafter, law enforcement requested the use of our elementary gymnasium as a temporary shelter for SUNY Morrisville dormitory residents while their buildings were being cleared. Fewer than 20 college students were temporarily housed at our facility. By 8:45 p.m., all college students had either returned to campus or been picked up by family members.
Following consultation with law enforcement, it has been determined that there is no ongoing threat to our students, staff, or buildings. We have been advised that it is safe to resume our regular school schedule tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4. The only schedule change for tomorrow is that the carpentry CTE class normally held on the SUNY campus will be held on the Verona Campus.
Tomorrow morning, faculty and staff will take part in a debriefing session to review the day’s events, discuss safety protocols, and identify ways to further strengthen our emergency response procedures.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the many law enforcement agencies that responded swiftly and professionally, including the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Oneida City Police Department, the Madison Central School District SRO, and our own Officer Graham, Chief David Verne and the Oneida Indian Nation Police, the New York State Police, and the numerous other departments from across Central New York who provided assistance and ensured the safety of our students and staff throughout the afternoon and evening.
We also wish to recognize our faculty, staff, and administrators for their calm leadership and commitment to student safety during today’s crisis—especially Principal Fairbrother, Director of Facilities Jacobs, Principal Rauch, and members of our maintenance department, whose actions helped ensure an organized and secure response under challenging circumstances. All of our Faculty and Staff responded incredibly this afternoon - Thank you!
Finally, we thank our caregivers and families for their patience, flexibility, and understanding throughout today’s events. Your cooperation allowed us to maintain focus on keeping every student safe.
We recognize that today’s extended dismissal and related events may have been stressful for some students. If you believe your child would benefit from speaking with someone, please contact your child’s teacher. Additional mental health providers will be available, and more can be called in if needed.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and partnership in keeping our students safe.