Threats of school violence on the rise in Connecticut

Winchester Chief of Police Christopher Ciuci with Police Sergeant Peter DeLouis (left), and Officer Scott Twombly (right).
Photo by Jennifer Almquist
Winchester Chief of Police Christopher Ciuci with Police Sergeant Peter DeLouis (left), and Officer Scott Twombly (right).
More than 50 Connecticut school districts have been affected by “death threats” made on social media since the beginning of the school year. Public schools were evacuated and locked down in Winchester, Bristol, Bridgeport, Ansonia, Westport, Meriden, Norwalk, Waterbury, Fairfield, Uniondale, West Babylon, and Torrington as school officials erred on the side of caution. As of Oct. 25, 20 juveniles have been arrested.
Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker of the Connecticut Department of Education sent out a letter on Oct. 22 addressed to parents and guardians. The letter, also signed by Governor Ned Lamont (D) and Commissioner Ronnell Higgens of Emergency Services and Public Protection, serves to address parents’ fears and asks them to support safe schools.
“Plans focus on prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Safety and security begin at home. We encourage parents and caregivers to help us with this.”
In a recent discussion concerning the “dangers of technology,” Governor Lamont highlighted “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA) introduced by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (which passed the Senate on July 30, 2024), and Blumenthal was asked about statewide online school threats.
KOSA, according to Blumenthal, “Creates a duty for online platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors.”
“Social media is an accelerant, like in a fire,” said Blumenthal. “It can spread and deepen harmful comments, threats and bullying.” Blumenthal continued, “I think effective law enforcement, as we’ve seen in Connecticut, as well as disapproval from contemporaries, peers and fellow students, can have an enormous effect.”
“Police are being very careful to see which is a serious threat and which is maybe some lark. Or somebody thinking it’s a mischievous prank,” said Lamont. Blumenthal added, “This is no joke.”
According to The Children’s Defense Fund: “Gun violence remains the number one cause of death for children ages one to 19, with the gun death rate for children at almost five in every 100,000 in 2020. Babies born the year of the watershed Columbine massacre are now 24 years old. No youth today knows a world without the threat of sudden deadly gun violence.”
The Lakeville Journal interviewed Winchester Chief of Police Christopher Ciuci following recent threats and school closings affected Winsted.
Almquist: Chief Ciuci, when did you begin working with the Winchester Police Department?
Ciuci: I’ve been in Winsted for a year and a half, after just shy of 29 years in Berlin. I grew up in Fairfield County and now I’m learning Litchfield County.
JA: Parents on social media said they were afraid to take their kids to Pearson School in Winsted (elementary school serving 300 children grades 3 to 6) recently. There was talk of a boy threatening with a gun on their school bus. There seemed to be a lot of confusion — parents concerned about what’s real and what isn’t. There was also a lot of criticism of the response from various authorities, including school administrators and police. After school shootings like the recent one in Georgia, there is usually an uptick in copycats on social media, but this seemed different. The threats were more prevalent — more national and widespread. Do these threats seem different to you?
CC: There was a contagious effect throughout Connecticut. What exacerbated that really was the social media. Once it got out there, it just kind of spiraled. It is hard dealing with all these different social media platforms. Getting out the proper message — there is a lot of misinformation. We have dealt with things like this in the past, so there are plans in place. We have a good relationship with the schools, and Emergency Management in Winsted. When you’re talking about school safety, it’s really that partnership between all of us — the parents, the community, the town, the Police department, the Fire department, and Emergency and Emergency Management — everybody. There are plans in place at the school required by state law — school safety plans, lockdown drills.
JA: Was the school’s response adequate?
CC: I thought the principal over at Pearson School did a good job. They were dealing with a child that is only 9 years old. In Connecticut you can’t even charge a child under 10 with a crime. To be honest with you, we don’t even want to get involved with a child so young. With juveniles, our first default mechanism is to divert from the criminal justice system. Especially with a child that age. We have diversion programs; a juvenile review board here, but in this situation, nothing really fit that criterion, because of the age of the child. The school had procedures in place. They met with their social workers, and threat assessment team. They did what they were supposed to do and made an assessment.
JA: Why were parents so critical of the response?
CC: I know where things got carried away because instead of the parents dealing directly with the school, or dealing directly with us, they just started putting stuff out on social media. Then that triggers and creates alarms, and that is what we want to try to avoid. After any incident like this it’s important to sit down, look at how it was handled, and determine what can we do better next time.
JA: It was reported that recently in Ansonia, a 13-year-old girl confessed that she made a threatening school post. She was charged with first-degree threatening and second-degree breach of the peace. In Florida, Sheriff Mike Chitwood perp walked an eleven-year-old suspect into custody, and a video of the child being arrested was shown to the public. The authorities said they wanted to publicly shame the parents and their child. How do you respond to that approach?
CC: It is hard to determine a lot of these threats that that are circulating now, because the technology allows them to know they’re anonymous. We don’t know where they’re coming in. They are disguising the numbers, disguising emails, disguising the social media posts. So, it’s difficult to track that back to the source and pursue it criminally. Make no mistake, if we can identify them, we really have a zero-tolerance policy at this department when it comes to threats. If a child was of age to be criminally charged, we would still follow through with that referral process, but we would divert them to the juvenile review board. But if there was a crime committed by someone of age, the message we want to send the child is that we’re going to pursue criminal charges.
JA: How do you determine a real threat?
CC: It is a multi-layered problem when the threat is real — you have the actual perpetrator, you have an actual crime that’s going to be committed. I think probably the hardest thing is determining whether a threat is real or not. We’re a small department without enough staffing. When you talk about school safety it takes a town-wide commitment. Not just supporting the people involved in public safety, but financially supporting them as well. Providing public safety is not cheap. But it’s in between handling calls for service such as dealing with school incidents which pulls everybody away from everything else.
The Children’s Defense Fund states: “Our nation’s young people deserve the chance to have a childhood free from violence and a country with leaders who ensure that they are safe in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.”
Snapping turtles can grow more than 18 inches in length with a distinctive shell. They are typically found near freshwater environments.
CORNWALL — In the humid summers of Litchfield County, it’s not uncommon to see turtles traversing away from their home bodies of water to find the perfect place to dig a nest and lay their eggs. Alongside the smaller and more colorful painted and box turtles, however, northeast America is home to a creature that looks like it belongs better to prehistoric earth than the modern-day suburbs.
Snapping turtles have a lineage dating back before the dinosaurs, and their size and strength make them intimidating. They are the classic ambush predator, laying wait in the depths to snatch up unsuspecting fish.
But they’re also quite misunderstood; very rarely do they attack humans unprovoked.
As they come onto land in the spring and summer, it’s important to both be aware of the risks they pose and recognize that, like any other creature, they are just trying to survive.
Tim Abbott, executive director of the Housatonic Valley Association, first encountered a snapping turtle when he was 6 years old. “When I was a kid, I thought I could ride on that turtle,” he said.
Nowadays he suggests that the average person definitely should not try to do so; in fact, he doesn’t recommend touching a snapping turtle at all. Their necks are longer than they appear and can bite in a wide area, including around their own shell.
If one encounters a turtle in their backyard, Abbott said, “Let it be.” It is likely looking for a good place to lay its eggs, usually in gravel or shallow soil, and will return to water after. Keep pets away from it, don’t fence it in or mow around it; the eggs will survive on their own and the babies will dig themselves out after fully developing.
It gets more complicated if a snapping turtle appears on a road where cars are passing by. In that situation, Abbott said his first concern is, “Am I safe to stop — not from the turtle, but from other drivers?” On a busy road, a speeding car is much more dangerous than a turtle, and even though it might feel wrong, it is safer for everyone to leave a turtle on a road that has low visibility or high speeds.
If it is safe to stop, don’t harass the turtle. Instead, one can indicate to other drivers there is a hazard. Abbott does not recommend lifting a snapping turtle, and he especially warns against putting fingers near the front half of its body; this is within its reach. The tail is also not a good handhold, as pulling on it can damage its spine.
Snapping turtles do not hunt humans and will usually avoid them if possible, but it is harder for them to maneuver on land. If approached, they may feel threatened, which is when they will attack.
Summer is one of the most important times in a snapping turtles’ year, as while they lay a high volume of eggs, few survive to adulthood. Once these turtles hit a certain size they are relatively safe from predators, but before they can be picked off by a number of other animals. Since they also take a long time to reach maturity, it’s actually rather rare for a turtle to lay eggs, so it’s important to give them the space they need.
As the summers grow warmer and the winters wetter, the factors that affect a snapping turtle’s life and longevity are constantly changing. Now, more than ever, it is important to be mindful of the other creatures that inhabit this beautiful state alongside us.
LEGAL NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF CERTIFICATION OF PARTY-ENDORSED CANDIDATES FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICE INCLUDING NOTICE OF “UNDER-
ENDORSEMENT” FOR SOME OFFICES
A certified list of Democratic party-endorsed candidates for the Town of Salisbury for election as First Selectman, Selectmen, Board of Finance, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals (full term), Planning & Zoning, Planning & Zoning Alt, Zoning Board of Appeals, Zoning Board of Appeals Alt and Regional Board of Education is on file in my office at 27 Main Street, Salisbury, CT and copies thereof are available for public distribution.
The certified list as received includes fewer names of party-endorsed candidates than the party is entitled to nominate for the following offices:
Office First Selectman
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-1
Selectmen
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Board of Finance
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Board of Education
Number of Names Certified-2
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2
Board of Assessment Appeals
(full term)
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-1
Planning & Zoning Commission
Number of Names Certified-3
Number Entitled to be Nominated-3
Planning & Zoning Commission Alternate
Number of Names Certified-2
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Zoning Board of Appeals
Number of Names Certified-2
Number Entitled to be Nominated-3 Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Regional Board of Education
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-1
A Primary will be held September 9, 2025, if, for a particular office, the number of party-endorsed candidates plus the number of candidates filing petitions pursuant to Sections 9-382 to 9-450 of the Connecticut General Statutes exceeds the maximum number which the party is entitled to nominate for that office. Petitions must be filed not later than 4:00 p.m. on August 6, 2025. Petition forms, instructions and information concerning the procedure for filing of opposing candidates, including schedules, may be obtained from:
Jennifer Law, Democratic Registrar of Voters, 27 Main Street, Salisbury, CT 06068
LEGAL NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF CERTIFICATION OF PARTY-ENDORSED CANDIDATES FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICE INCLUDING NOTICE OF “UNDER-
ENDORSEMENT” FOR SOME OFFICES
A certified list of Republican party-endorsed candidates for the Town of Salisbury, CT for election as Selectmen, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals (full term) is on file in my office at 27 Main Street, Salisbury, CT and copies thereof are available for public distribution.
The certified list as received includes fewer names of party-endorsed candidates than the party is entitled to nominate for the following offices:
Office
First Selectman
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-1
Selectmen
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Board of Finance
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Board of Education
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2
Board of Assessment Appeals
(full term)
Number of Names Certified-1
Number Entitled to be Nominated-1
Planning & Zoning Commission
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-3
Planning & Zoning Commission Alternate
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Zoning Board of Appeals
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-3 Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-2 Regional Board of Education
Number of Names Certified-0
Number Entitled to be Nominated-1
A Primary will be held September 9, 2025, if, for a particular office, the number of party-endorsed candidates plus the number of candidates filing petitions pursuant to Sections 9-382 to 9-450 of the Connecticut General Statutes exceeds the maximum number which the party is entitled to nominate for that office. Petitions must be filed not later than 4:00 p.m. of August 6, 2025. Petition forms, instructions and information concerning the procedure for filing of opposing candidates, including schedules, may be obtained from:
Maureen Dell, Republican Registrars of Voters, 27 Main Street, Salisbury, CT 06068
Kristine M Simmons
Town Clerk of Salisbury
07-31-25
Legal Notice of Receipt of Certification of Party-endorsed Candidates for Municipal Offices Including Notice of “Under endorsement” for some offices
A certified list of Democrat and Republican party-endorsed candidates for the Town of Sharon for the election as First Selectman, Selectmen, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Tax Collector, Board of Finance Full Term, Board of Finance Fill Vacancy 2 yrs., Board of Finance Alt. Fill Vacancy 4 yrs., Board of Education Full Term, Board of Education Fill Vacancy 2 yrs., Board of Assessment Appeals, Planning and Zoning Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission Alt., Zoning Board of Appeals, Zoning Board of Appeals Fill vacancy 2 yrs., Zoning Board of Appeals Alt., Zoning Board of Appeals Alt. Fill Vacancy 2 yrs., Regional Board of Education is on file in my office at 63 Main Street, Sharon, CT, and copies are available for public distribution.
The certified list of Democratic Candidates received includes fewer names of party-endorsed candidates than the party is entitled to nominate for the following offices:
OFFICESelectmen
Entitled-2
Certified-1 Board of Finance Full Term
Entitled-2
Certified-1 Board of Finance Fill Vacancy 2 yrs.
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Board of Finance Alt. Fill Vacancy 4 yrs.
Entitled-1
Certified-0 Zoning Board of Appeals
Entitled-2
Certified-1 Zoning Board of Appeals Alt. Fill Vacancy 2 yrs.
Entitled-1
Certified-0 The certified list of Republican Candidates as received includes fewer names of party-endorsed candidates than the party is entitled to nominate for the following offices:
OFFICE First Selectman
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Selectmen
Entitled-2
Certified-0 Town Clerk
Entitled-1
Certified-0 Board of Finance Full Term
Entitled-2
Certified-1
Board of Education Fill Vacancy 2 yrs.
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Board of Assessment Appeals
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Planning and Zoning Commission
Entitled-2
Certified-1 Planning and Zoning Commission Alt.
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Zoning Board of Appeals
Entitled-2
Certified-1 Zoning Board of Appeals Fill vacancy 2 yrs.
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Zoning Board of Appeals Alt.
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Zoning Board of Appeals Alt. Fill Vacancy 2 yrs.
Entitled-1
Certified-0
Regional Board of Education
Entitled-1
Certified-0
A Primary will be held September 09, 2025, if, for a particular office, the number of party endorsed candidates plus the number of candidates filing petitions pursuant to Sections 9-382 to 9-450 of the Connecticut General Statutes exceeds the maximum number, which the party is entitled to nominate for that office. Petitions must be filed not later than 4:00 p.m. on August 6, 2025. Petition forms, instructions and information concerning the procedure for filing of opposing candidates, including schedules, may be obtained from:
Democratic Registrar of Voters, Marel Rogers or Republican Registrar of Voters, Patricia Chamberlain, 63 Main Street, Sharon, CT. 860-364-5514
Linda R. Amerighi-CCTC
Town Clerk
07-31-25
Legal Notice
The Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Salisbury will hold a Public Hearing on Special Permit Application #2025-0291 by Tim Sneller for a detached accessory apartment on a single-family residential lot at 136 Long Pond Road, Lakeville, Map 02, Lot 12 per Section 208 of the Salisbury Zoning Regulations. The hearing will be held on Monday, August 4, 2025 at 6:45 PM. There is no physical location for this meeting. This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom where interested persons can listen to & speak on the matter. The agenda and meeting instructions will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/agendas/. The application materials will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/planning-zoning-meeting-documents/. Written comments may be submitted to the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, P.O. Box 548, Salisbury, CT or via email to landuse@salisburyct.us. Paper copies of the application may be reviewed Monday through Thursday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM.
Salisbury Planning & Zoning Commission
Martin Whalen, Secretary
07-24-25
07-31-25
Legal Notice
The Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Salisbury will hold a Public Hearing on Special Permit Application #2025-0287 by ARADEV LLC for Hotel, Redevelopment of the Wake Robin Inn at 104&106 Sharon Road and 53 Wells Hill Road, Salisbury, Map 47, Lots 2 and 2-1 per Section 213.5 of the Salisbury Zoning Regulations. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 6:30 PM. There is no physical location for this meeting. This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom where interested persons can listen to & speak on the matter. The agenda and meeting instructions will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/agendas/. The application materials will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/planning-zoning-meeting-documents/. Written comments may be submitted to the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, P.O. Box 548, Salisbury, CT or via email to landuse@salisburyct.us. Paper copies of the agenda, meeting instructions, and application materials may be reviewed Monday through Thursday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM at the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, Salisbury CT.
Salisbury Planning & Zoning Commission
Martin Whalen, Secretary
07-24-25
07-31-25
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF
JOSEPH R. MEEHAN
Late of Salisbury
(25-00277)
The Hon. Jordan M. Richards, Judge of the Court of Probate, District of Litchfield Hills Probate Court, by decree dated July 17, 2025, ordered that all claims must be presented to the fiduciary at the address below. Failure to promptly present any such claim may result in the loss of rights to recover on such claim.
The fiduciary is:
Joseph M. Cortese
c/o Matthew J Lefevre
Law Offices of Matthew Lefevre, Esq PC, 38 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT
06105
Megan M. Foley
Clerk
07-31-25
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF
JOSEPH R. PIZZONI
Late of Florida
(25-00276)
The Hon. Jordan M. Richards, Judge of the Court of Probate, District of Litchfield Hills Probate Court, by decree dated July 15, 2025, ordered that all claims must be presented to the fiduciary at the address below. Failure to promptly present any such claim may result in the loss of rights to recover on such claim.
The fiduciary is:
Gary Palumbo
c/o Andrea Doyle Asman
Litwin Asman, PC
1047 Bantam Road
P.O. Box 698
Bantam, CT 06750
Beth L. McGuire
Chief Clerk
07-31-25
Join our team! Housatonic Child Care Center: in Salisbury CT, is now looking for a full-time, full-year preschool assistant teacher to join our team! The primary responsibility is to support the lead teacher by offering high-quality educational experiences to preschoolers. Must pass a background check and health screening. Pay is based on education and experience. Send your resume to housatonicchildcarecenter@gmail.com or contact Tonya or Betzy at 860-435-9694 for more information.
Town of Cornwall Hiring Park & Recreation Director: The Town of Cornwall is hiring for a Park & Recreation Director. Accepting applications until September 1. For more details and to apply, contact First Selectmen’s office 860-672-4959.
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Seeking Caretaking Position: Married couple seek position on estate or gentleman’s farm in or around Lichfield County in exchange for living quarters. Extremely responsible and discreet. Experienced in grounds maintenance and cattle and horse care. Proficient with tractor mowing, snowplowing, fencing, chainsaw work, lawn care, etc. Recently returned to NE after decade teaching abroad. Please contact Stephen & Sumaira Johnson at (959) 895-5701 sjohnsonvt61@
gmail.com
LABRADOR ORPHAN wanted: as companion for RESCUE MIX (5 years). Sharon. 407-620-7777.
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.
He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.
Gil met Sally, the love of his life, while attending Housatonic Valley Regional High School.He went on to attend Northwest Community College before serving in the United States Air Force. Professionally, he was the longtime owner of Universal Business Equipment in Bridgeport, a role he held with pride for more than 20 years.
Gil had a lifelong passion for the outdoors and was an avid golfer and fly fisherman. He also enjoyed birdwatching and gardening. Perhaps more than anything, Gil will be remembered for his love of cooking. He took great joy in preparing meals for family and friends. Right up until his final days, he was finding joy in discovering new ways to cook the vegetables he grew in his garden.
Friends and family are invited to attend a funeral service at Stepney Baptist Church, 423 Main Street in Monroe on Tuesday, July 29at 11:00 a.m.
To leave an online message of condolence, please visit Gilbert’s tribute page at www.OBrien-FuneralHome.com