Students at Staples High School were sent home early Tuesday after a student was overheard making threats to shoot a teacher, officials say.

An email from the superintendent says students and staff were instructed to shelter-in-place until an early dismissal at 1:15 p.m. as a result of the information learned.

Police say the student who overheard the threats immediately reported it to school officials. When officers and detectives arrived at the school, the male student was already being interviewed by school administrators.

"Based on the information that was learned by the school, it was confirmed that the student did have thoughts of executing a mass shooting," Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas says.

The incident came just a day after a Board of Education meeting to discuss the potential of armed police officers patrolling the district.

News 12 is told there will be an added police presence across the district following the incident.