LATHAM — Colonie Police announced Tuesday, Nov. 8, that a suspicious package left in front of the main entrance at Shaker High School Monday, Nov. 7, was not intended to be a threat of harm or intent to cause alarm to students, faculty and staff.
Police said they had identified and interviewed the person who left the package at the main entrance. The person, whose identity is not being released, is a former Latham resident who currently lives out of the area.
The package and its contents were evaluated by forensic investigators with the assistance of State Police. Police said the package included a book and a glass jar with hand-written notes and a digital flash drive. The flash drive was determined to contain digital copies of additional hand-written notes. The book and the enclosed documents were religious in nature and contained no threats. All of the items were wrapped in black plastic packaging material. Police said they determined the person intended to provide the religious material to the school’s administrators, and in an effort to protect the documents, he inadvertently gave the package a suspicious appearance.
The package led to a two-hour delay for the entire district. Authorities were alerted to the presence of the package in the early morning on Monday, Nov. 7. Traffic was diverted away form the school to Our Lady of Assumption on Watervliet-Shaker Road. K9 units from the State Police, the Troy Police Department and the Albany County Sheriff’s Department swept through the high school and deemed it was safe for students and staff to return by 9:15 a.m.
Police said the person will not face criminal charges; however, he has been banned from returning to North Colonie Central School District property.