Primrose Hill School Principal Dawn August emailed students’ families on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 25, after a staff member found a bullet shell casing on the ground outside the school. 

This was the third shell casing found outside the Barrington elementary school in the last four months. In two separate incidents in Nov. 2024, students found shell casings outside the school — all three shell casings were found in the same area. 

According to the email, Tuesday’s discovery was of a rifle caliber spent casing. That is different than the prior shell casings, which were from a pistol, police said. 

In her email, August wrote that school officials immediately contacted police after the staff member found the shell casing on Tuesday. 

“The police believe it may be part of the former casings that were found in November — as it was in the same area, appears to have calcium deposits on it, and may have surfaced with the snow. There will be an investigation,” August wrote. “Student safety is always our top priority. We thank the BPD for assisting us in a quick response.”

Barrington Police Captain Kevin Igoe said the rifle caliber shell casing appeared to be very old. He said it was found near the school’s Dumpster. 

Capt. Igoe said there was no reason for people to be concerned.