Education

‘Frightening and Disruptive’: 14 Fake Shooting Reports Halt Minnesota Schools

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that 15 active shooter reports occurred on the same day. Fourteen reports were in the same day, with one happening earlier in the week. It has since been corrected.

At least 14 Minnesota schools were halted on Wednesday after receiving false reports of an active shooter present in the district, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Police stations across the state received 14 reports of “active shooter events or mass casualties” which all turned out to be false on Wednesday, with one other false report occurring earlier in the week, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Law enforcement was sent to respond to each “swatting” incident, with the FBI and BCA investigating each incident.

The calls are suspected to be from the same person in an effort to draw a crowd of law enforcement to one location, Fox 9 News reported. Schools that received a call include Minneapolis Public School District, Mankato Area Public Schools, Darlington County School District and Austin Public School District.

“The BCA is leveraging our partnerships with local and federal law enforcement to investigate these incidents,” BCA spokesperson Bonnie Bowman told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Schools should remain vigilant and continue working with their school resource officers and other community partners to ensure the safety of students across Minnesota.”

“These hoax calls are frightening and disruptive to schools, students, staff, families and communities; and a slap in the face to those who have experienced these situations in real life and lost loved ones,” Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Heather Mueller told the outlet. “Our schools are supposed to be safe not only with the building itself, but also with the relationships, academics, and mental and physical health support of our students.”

If there is an active shooting threat in the school, reports should be made through local law enforcement and the school resource officer, the BCA said. Students should report threats through the “See It Say It Send It” app which is for “receiving tips about threats made against Minnesota schools.”