Editor’s note: This story, originally published at 11:25 a.m. May 21, 2024, was updated at 8:53 a.m. May 24, 2024, to correct the address of Tilden Middle School.
A bullet was found on the floor of the boys’ locker room at Tilden Middle School in Rockville on Monday, according to a letter to the school community from Principal Sapna Hopkins.
The MoCo Show first reported the incident and reprinted the letter Hopkins sent to the school community.
The incident comes after a handful of schools in the county received “swatting” calls and other threats which led to Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School being placed in lockdown on Thursday and Walt Whitman High School to evacuate students and Bethesda Elementary School briefly going on lockdown on Friday.
Hopkins wrote that on Monday afternoon two students reported to a staff member that they found a “live ammunition round” on the floor of the physical education locker room at the school at 6300 Tilden Lane in Rockville.
The staff member “immediately” notified the school’s security team. The school also called the non-emergency line for county police and “secured” the locker room, according to the letter. Subsequently, the locker room was searched, including all lockers and trash cans.
After school dismissal Monday afternoon, Tilden’s security team checked the locker room again, searching the bathroom and shower stalls, the floor and trash cans, Hopkins wrote.
“No additional concerning items were found during these sweeps,” Hopkins wrote.
At the time the letter was sent, Hopkins said there was no evidence indicating a direct threat to the school or any individual and no information suggesting a student threatened to harm anyone.
In the letter, Hopkins commended the two students who reported the incident and the staff members’ quick response. “Their actions enable us to address this matter swiftly and efficiently,” she wrote.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.