Police Release Statement After Indiana High School Placed on Lockdown for ‘Active Threat’
Police in one Indiana city have released a statement after an "active threat situation" led to the lockdown of an area high school.
An "Active Threat Situation"
At 8:16 a.m. on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, police in Evansville were dispatched to Memorial High School for an "active threat situation." They say dispatchers received a single phone call that claimed there was an active shooter situation with victims.
Dispatch advised that the caller said there was an active shooter inside the school and 10 victims were down on the 2nd floor.
Multiple Agencies Responded
Law enforcement officials from multiple agencies including the Evansville Police Department, Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, Indiana State Police, and EVSC Police arrived, clearing the scene. Authorities determined that there was no threat and no injuries, and that everyone inside the school was safe.
A "Swatting" Call
Evansville Police say that the call was "suspicious" and believe it to have been a case of "swatting," a term used to describe when someone calls in a false run to a school for the purpose of creating panic. They say it is both incredibly dangerous and illegal.
It seems that the caller purposely called in a false run to the school to cause panic, which is sometimes referred to as “Swatting.”
False Threats Across the United States
In the statement by police, they reported that they later learned that the incident was one of several false active threat situations that were reported across the country today. Local law enforcement will be working with investigators to determine of the calls are related.
Investigators will also be working with those other agencies to determine if these incidents were in fact made by the same caller and are connected.
Do You Have Information?
Again, swatting is an illegal offense. If you have any information pertaining to the ongoing investigation of the incident, you are asked to contact the Evansville Police Department Adult Investigations Unit at (812) 436-7979.
[Source: Evansville Police Department via Facebook]
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