During a recent alumni event at Stoneham High School in Massachusetts, up to $8,000 worth of sports equipment was stolen. The items taken included football helmets, jerseys, and practice shorts, all of which were stored in the old Stoneham High School building that is currently being demolished. Stoneham Superintendent David A. Ljungberg expressed disappointment and alarm at the theft.
The old campus was closed two weeks prior to the event in order to make way for a new building that is set to open next fall. The district organized the event as a farewell to the old building, allowing around 400 alumni and their guests to tour the premises one last time. Despite the front door to the athletic rooms being locked, individuals were able to access the equipment through an unlocked back door by navigating through back rooms. The stolen sports gear, some of it new, was in sealed and labeled boxes that were cut open. It remains unclear whether the culprits were alumni or not.
The school is collaborating with Stoneham police and reviewing surveillance footage from inside the room to identify the thieves. Ljungberg suspects that the initial perpetrators might have known that they were not meant to be in that area, but subsequent individuals who entered likely did not realize that they were not supposed to be there. A decision regarding pressing charges has not been made yet as the school’s primary focus is on recovering the stolen equipment rather than punishing those responsible.
