Westport Police have arrested a 29-year-old Southbury man, in connection with a November threat against Coleytown Elementary School.
On November 3, at 7:34 a.m., the Fairfield County Regional Dispatch Center received a text to 911, saying, “I’ll blow up Coleytown Elementary School.”
The school day was delayed 2 hours. Buses were rerouted to Coleytown Middle School, and people in the building were evacuated to CMS. Everyone in the middle school was advised to shelter in place.
Westport, Fairfield and Norwalk Police Department explosive detection canine units, along with the Stamford Police Department’s Bomb Squad, conducted a systematic search of the premises.
An extensive search yielded no explosives.
Coleytown Elementary School (foreground); Coleytown Middle School (rear). (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
The cell phone from where the message originated was traced. It was found on the man, who was located by officers a short distance from the school while the search was ongoing.
He initially claimed that his phone had been hacked. Further investigation, including a forensic examination of the device, interviews with the suspect and coordination with other agencies investigating similar incidents, tied the allegation to the man.
An arrest warrant was sought and granted. He was charged with threatening, falsely reporting an incident, misuse of 911, computer crime in furtherance of terroristic purposes, and breach of peace.
He was unable to post $100,000 bond, and was arraigned today.
He needs to be taken off the streets for a long, long time!
Nice work by the WPD!
Wonderful that we have the appropriate resources for times like this.
Terrible that we have to use them.
Throw the book at him and put a spotlight on that in every possible media outlet to discourage other idiots for doing this. Also maybe a class action suit from the parents against him for the inflicted trauma. Send him to jail, seize all his assets and make the outcome “front page” news.
Jail him in Wilmington NC!
I like the idea of launching a lawsuit! Take everything he owns!
Thanks Dave Farrell and our Westport pd our all our officers woke and men do a wonderful job for Westport
why not name the person? its public knowledge.
Guess some people like protecting criminals…his name is Christopher lannacone if you’re curious.
I am sorry. I did not mean woke I. Ment to say women and men sorry all mistake spelling
His identity is in a Connecticut insider article with a simple Google search
Why no name and picture? Just curious…
An arrest is not a conviction — and the internet is forever. It’s the same reason I don’t include names in the regular police reports in the Roundup. I don’t want “06880” to be the first thing that pops up when someone googles someone’s name — for any reason. The name and picture of the suspect is readily available on other sites.
It’s my editorial decision. The information is important — the name, less so.