Dutchess Standoff Triggers School Stay at Home Warning
An active situation within the Wappingers Central School district has canceled bus pickup for some students on Wednesday morning.
An alert was sent out to parents near Channingville and Sheafe Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie on January 26. It reads:
Due to an emergency situation in the Channingville Road and Sheafe Road area, (the) Poughkeepsie Police Department would like all students and families to remain in their homes at this time. The buses will not be picking up the students this morning. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you and have a great day.
The Town of Poughkepsie Police Department sent out a brief alert this morning, indicating that there was an "active situation" on Channingville Road. The message encouraged everyone to avoid the area.
Some have been speculating online that there is a "standoff" in progress, but we were unable to confirm the specific situation.
Parents have been understandably concerned about the situation. It appears that the alert was only sent to a small number of parents in the Channingville area. Many students at Sheafe Road Elementary School, which is near the area of concern, did not get the alert and are still presumably being picked up by buses.
A call to some parents from the Wappingers Central School District indicated that the situation may only be affecting one bus route.
UPDATE 8:30am: The Town of Poughkeepsie Police have announced that the situation is not an "active shooter" investigation. Some local media outlets have been reporting shots fired. We have not confirmed this.
The situation on Channingville Road is not an active shooter investigation. The current situation is contained and is ongoing. Please refer to this page for accurate information not other social media pages or outlets. Residents and commuters are once again advised to avoid the area.
UPDATE 8:42am: Sheafe Road Elementary School is open for students. An email to parents indicated that they have been assured that the situation is contained and it is safe to remain open.
A Listener spotted a tactical unit traveling towards the area with its lights on, it's unclear if is related to the active situation.
This is a fast-changing story and we will continue to update it throughout the day.