William Penn Charter School was placed under lockdown for more than three hours last Thursday after a threatening message was discovered in a bathroom, prompting a thorough police search that ultimately found no evidence of danger, officials said.

The lockdown began at 11:27 a.m. when police responded to reports of a written threat discovered in a girls' bathroom stall at the private Quaker school in East Falls. The message suggested a student had brought a gun to campus with the intent to shoot someone.

Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department, including K-9 units, conducted a comprehensive sweep of the School House Lane campus while students remained confined to their classrooms. One freshman reported being held in an English classroom for three hours, initially without phone access and under instructions to maintain silence.

"After a search of our campus, law enforcement did not uncover any immediate threats and the search was concluded successfully," said school spokeswoman Lisa D'Orazio in a statement. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 3:00 p.m., allowing students to leave slightly before their regular dismissal time.

Throughout the incident, students communicated via social media about police searching classrooms and belongings. Some reported that officers were systematically working their way through the building, with K-9 units assisting in the investigation.

Police confirmed that no arrests have been made, and the investigation remains active with the Northwest Detectives Division leading the case.

"We are deeply grateful for the professionalism demonstrated by the responding officers, the compassion of our faculty, the care of our students and the support of our families," D'Orazio added.