According to a news release from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a burglary at Apollo High School at 6:17 a.m.
An employee at Apollo High School reported that he entered the front door of the school and heard an unknown suspect the door on the west side of the building toward Gemini Drive.
The release states that the suspect is a tall, athletically built male wearing black clothing and shoes, dark colored mask, black backpack, and black gloves. The suspect is believed to have used a blunt object to force entry through a secure door. After DCSO and Owensboro Police Department K9 Unit cleared the school and processed the scene, the school appears to be safe, the release said. The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Daviess County Public School Superintendent Matt Robbins addressed the media after the event, he said in large part to dispel confusion and social media speculation.
Robbins said the decision to cancel classes Thursday was in extreme precaution of student safety. Given the size of the school and the number of students impacted, Robbins said canceling classes was the best option to allow for a thorough search of the building and time to process the scene.
“This is an isolated incident,” Robbins said. “At no time were any threats made.”
DCSO Chief Deputy Barry Smith said his office is currently reviewing video to see if the suspect carried anything in or out of the school. Trained search dogs were brought in to verify no explosive devices were present. After those searches were finalized, a first degree burglary was determined to have occurred.
The building was declared secure by 9:45 a.m. Thursday morning. At that time, AHS staff members were allowed to reenter the building and all after school activities will resume as scheduled Thursday afternoon. Classes will resume tomorrow.
Robbins said that some students were on campus before the decision to close had been made. Staff members were stationed at all entrances to prevent students from entering the building. By 7:15 to 7:30 a.m., officials decided to close the school was the best option for student safety.
“I am extremely proud of the administrators there that realized they had a situation that was abnormal and took immediate action to make me aware of it, so we could begin the process to determine what was the best thing to do,” Robbins said.
Officials plan to take this opportunity to improve the “already heightened level of security” at DCPS. Voice, text and email messages all went out to DCPS parents Thursday regarding the incident. Robbins said the first message went out at 7:15 a.m. and another was sent that the building has been cleared.
Robbins confirmed that he has been in touch with the Kentucky Department of Education, who confirmed that AHS students will not need to make up the school day.
