Two area schools among districts targeted in active-shooter hoax
Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI in Pittsburgh are investigating a series of fake phone calls made to 911 centers about an active shooter or a bomb threat at schools across Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
Among the school districts targeted by the flood of hoax calls were Washington in Washington County and Laurel Highlands in Fayette County.
State police said all of the “swatting calls,” which prompted a massive response from police and emergency services and resulted in lockdowns and/or evacuations of schools, are false.
“The PSP has responded to all incidents in our primary coverage areas and has been in contact with municipal law enforcement partners investigating these incidents in their coverage areas,” according to a statement released by state police Wednesday afternoon.
In all, about 24 school districts statewide were targeted.
Laurel Highlands placed all staff and students at the high school and on school grounds on lockdown after Uniontown Police Department received a report of an active shooter at the school.
State police in Uniontown and Uniontown police responded to the school and determined the call was not credible.
In a statement to parents and staff, Laurel Highlands Superintendent Dr. Jesse T. Wallace III wrote, “After a thorough sweep(s) of the high school premises, it was determined that there was no threat.”
Police informed the district that a series of swatting calls began coming in by phone across the commonwealth at about 8 a.m.
Uniontown police received a call from an individual claiming to be “holed up” in a high school restroom with a shooter in the building, then ended the call when an officer tried to get additional information.
Washington County 911 received a report of an active shooter at Washington High School.
“The agencies here in the county did a really good job and vetted it from a number of angles and determined it was completely false,” said Washington School District Superintendent George Lammay. “We are managing it appropriately. This is the nature of the world we live in now, I guess.”
Charleroi Area School District placed schools on lockdown as a precaution and was one of several local school districts to notify parents of the swatting situation.
“Our school police officers and administrators remain vigilant in monitoring the situation and communicating with emergency services. Our District will remain in lockdown until the completion of the school day,” Charleroi Superintendent Dr. Edward Zelich wrote to parents.
The FBI in Pittsburgh also is following the events and the investigation and released the following statement:
“The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”
The fake calls come two days after a shooter killed three students and three adults in a Nashville, Tenn., school.
Wallace wrote, “As an unfortunate circumstance of our environment, we drill and practice for such events, we applaud the staff and students who knew exactly what to do in this situation.”