On Thursday, several school districts throughout the state received 911 calls that sounded similar but were fake. No active shooter events were recorded by any of the numerous school systems, including Wilkes County.
No one had been shot, and Wilkes Central High School was not currently under threat, according to a brief statement released by the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday at noon. Social media reports of an active shooter on the school’s Wilkesboro campus started circulating earlier in the day.
Wilkes County Emergency Dispatch received a call this morning, December 1, informing them that there was an active shooter incident on the grounds of Wilkes Central High School. As soon as possible, our school went into lockdown and according to safety protocols. Local law enforcement agencies responded quickly. When the school was placed on lockdown, they verified that there was no threat of an active shooter situation despite what emergency dispatch had been told.
Since there has been no documented threat to our kids, faculty, or outside guests to our campus, we have been encouraged to carry on with our regularly scheduled school day. For the balance of the school day, there are more police officers around as a precaution. We appreciate your help and patience as we worked to ensure the welfare and safety of every member of our Eagle family.
One more such instance occurred on Thursday at Wilkes Central High. These “swatting” calls were reportedly made to Williams High School in Burlington, Hillside High in Durham, Grimsley High in Greensboro, Leesville Road Middle School in Raleigh, New Hanover High School in Wilmington, Cumberland County Schools, and four schools in the Charlotte vicinity.
On Wednesday, at least nine Georgian schools were also the target. When 911 callers make allegations that bring a lot of police officers and emergency personnel to one house, they are playing a practical joke.
Surry County, Mount Airy City, or Elkin City Schools did not receive any such reports, but Elkin City Schools did put students in the elementary, middle, and high schools on a precautionary 45-minute lockdown.
The FBI’s field office in Charlotte responded to the situation by issuing the following statement: “FBI Charlotte is aware of several threats to the area’s schools and is in contact with the affected local law enforcement agencies. We enjoin the public to exercise caution and to report any suspicious activity or people to law authorities promptly.
