VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — St. John the Apostle Catholic School in Virginia Beach canceled classes Thursday "out of an abundance of caution" after administrators say a threat was made to the school.
A student's parent reached out to 13News Now with concerns about a notice from the school's interim principal Wednesday evening, which said the school had received "a threat of violence via email" after classes let out earlier in the day.
"We initiated our secure protocol, moving students inside and alerting law enforcement," Interim Principal Jennifer Davey said in the notice. "The response process was executed smoothly, and I am deeply grateful to our after-school staff and our students for their quick and orderly action."
In the note, Davey said law enforcement responded quickly to the threat and confirmed the email came from someone not associated with St. John the Apostle (SJA).
As a result, school administrators made the decision to cancel classes Thursday, “out of an abundance of caution, with the support of OCS and the Diocese of Richmond," the notice to families stated.
13News Now reached out to the Virginia Beach Police Department. They say it's an ongoing investigation and no charges are filed, at this point.
The Diocese of Richmond told 13News now that SJA plans to reopen, but didn't say when.
Davey told parents she would give them an update on Thursday. In the meantime, she said school and law enforcement officials would be working on a plan for "heightened security" for students' return to school.
"Your children are at the forefront of our thinking, and we know that this threat only compounds a difficult few days for our students and families," Davey wrote in the notice. "When we return, we will work to discuss with your children in an age-appropriate way, the power of threatening language and behaviors, as well as the ways in which we work to keep them safe, both physically and emotionally."
Candace Haluska's children don’t attend the school but she says the frequency of threats and shootings at schools across the country are worrying.
“It's very concerning and it's it's pretty terrifying as a parent to have to feel that way. Sending your kids and hoping that they come back safely,” Haluska said. "It's not something that you want for your kids or for anybody's kids, to be in unsafe environments and places where you can't just have peace of mind sending them to school.”
SJA made the news earlier this week when a Virginia Beach mom raised concerns after her son was suspended for waiting too long to report a classmate who brought a bullet to school.