Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Former Coventry Teacher Arrested After Threats

Todd Gillheeney, a former CHS math teacher was arraigned in Kent County Court this afternoon.

 

Update - 4:35 p.m: After undergoing a psychological evaluation, Gillheeney came before Judge Mary McCaffrey in Kent County District Court with his Attorney Thomas G. Gulick, where he was charged with felony threats to public officials and two misdemeanor charges for the alleged harassment of Coventry High School Vice Principals Susan Chandler and Lori Ferguson. Coventry Police Lt. John Shields confirmed that Gillheeney had no prior background of criminal history. No plea was taken. 

Judge McCaffrey stated that she did not believe Gillheeney met the criteria for hospitalization, however she did have additional concerns for which she referred him to pretrial services.

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Gillheeney was released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail, but with the conditions that he receive a full mental health evaluation and monitoring from pretrial services, reside with his parents in North Providence while his case is pending, agree to not have any contact with CHS Principal Mike Hobin and VPs Chandler and Ferguson, and agree to not trespass or have contact with any Coventry schools or the administration building.

A status date of March 20 was set to review his conditions of bail and a felony screening was set for April 15.

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Stay with Coventry Patch for updates on this story as they become available.

1:53 p.m.: Police have arrested former Coventry High School teacher Todd Gillheeney after school officials forwarded several threatening/disturbing tweets to the School Resource Officer. 

Gillheeney, 33, of 11 Larchmont Dr., Coventry, who was recently terminated, was charged with threats to public officials, cyberstalking and crank or obscene phone calls (harassing). School officials have declined to give the reason for Gillheeney's termination, referring to it only as a "personnel issue".

Police began investigating Feb. 28 after High School officials forwarded the tweets.

The first tweet in question appeared at 12:01 p.m. on Gillheeney's Twitter account, stating, "Dead man walking."

Little more than an hour later, another post stated: "Judgement day, let the countdown begin."

Later that evening at 6:23 p.m., a tweet stated: "Planning something and actually doing it are 2 completely different things."

Fifteen minutes later at 6:38 p.m., a post from the account read: "All I need is a stage."

At 7:35 p.m.: "Enjoy tonight, redemptions creeping."

At 10:26 p.m., a final message was posted that said, "Pretty much."

After reviewing the messages officers searched Gillheeney’s home, seizing a Stag Arms AR-15 rifle, several magazines, more than 400 rounds of ammo, a computer and assorted electronic devices.  

"There were no direct threats against any school, just a lot of cryptic posts about today's date and some play on words," said Coventry Police Chief Bryan Volpe. "It was enough to raise our awareness level so we put a team together pretty quick, brought it to a judge to get an arrest warrant and then a search warrant and went to his house around 2 this morning. In the scope of what's going on around the country, we can't take any chances with this."

There was never any danger to any student, Superintendent Mike Almeida wrote in a letter to parents Friday. "The safety of the students of Coventry has been at the forefront of our minds and at no time was the safety of the students compromised," he wrote.

Gillheeney will be arraigned in Kent County District Court at 2 p.m.

Stay with Coventry Patch for updates on this story as they become available.


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