Suspicious Package Prompts Evacuation at Cedar Creek Reenactment, Where PCG Is in Attendance
The Cedar Creek battlefield, where members of the 26th Pennsylvania College Guard were attending a reenactment this weekend (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
By Benjamin Pontz, Managing News Editor
Local media outlets from the northern Virginia area are reporting that a reenactment has been evacuated due to a suspicious package found on the premises.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed to local TV station WHSV that a “suspicious package” prompted an evacuation of the annual Cedar Creek reenactment, where 15 Gettysburg College students who are members of the 26th Pennsylvania College Guard are in attendance. The package was located around 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, according to WJLA.
Gettysburg students were not near where the package was located and are not in danger, Joe Gurreri, Director of Student Activities and Greek Life confirmed to The Gettysburgian late Saturday. The event is on a lockdown, and Gettysburg students are in what Gurreri termed a “secure location” and will return to campus in the morning as planned.
Earlier this week, event organizers announced that they had received a letter threatening “bodily harm” to event attendees, and, as such, organizers enhanced security measures, but did not appear to view the threat as credible. Gurreri said the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life was aware of such threats, and, in consultation with the students and their advisor, decided to proceed with the event as planned. Information on threats was shared with students’ parents.
The Gettysburg College Department of Public Safety confirmed that they had been in touch with the Gettysburg students in attendance, but had no further comment.
Gettysburg College’s Student Senate is expected to authorize a $1,440 disbursement at its meeting Monday that had been conditionally approved at its October 2 meeting. The budget request included a registration fee for 17 students to attend the reenactment, while it itemized meals for 20 students.
This article was updated at 11:34 p.m. to add comments received from Joe Gurreri.
