Police officers were called to reports of a shooting situation at high schools in Wichita and Topeka on Thursday, and the reports turned out to be false.
Officers were called to North High School in Wichita early in the afternoon on the report of an active shooter situation. Nothing was found in the building and no one was hurt.
At around 1:30 p.m. Topeka police were sent to a similar report of an active shooter at Hayden High School. Police cleared the building and there were no reports of any threats to the school.
Police in Oklahoma City also checked on a report of a shooting around the same time at Bishop McGuinness High School, and that turned out to be false.
Police are investigating to see if the false reports may be related.
The FBI issued the following in relation to the investigation:
“The FBI is aware of the numerous swatting incidents wherein a report of an active shooter at a school is made. 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.”
[ North High photo: KWCH ]
