The report of an active shooter at Wilson High School in Spring Township prompted a massive police response Friday morning. Both Wilson High School and Whitfield Elementary schools were placed in a lockdown for over an hour as police searched the campus.
Police on-scene said a single 911 called was received describing that someone was shot and with a gun. After searching and securing classrooms, they found nothing to indicate it was a valid threat, no firearms or victims located. Police believe the call was made just to invoke the police response.
Due to the investigation and the emotional impact on students and staff, the high school was dismissed early. However, Whitfield Elementary School resumed to its regular schedule.
Wilson School District is providing updates here: Incident at Wilson High School. “Thank you to our students, staff, and families for supporting our investigatory process, remaining calm, and allowing the teams of police officers to do their essential work.”
Police say they have identified the phone number, but not who made the call and are still investigating.
Timeline of events by Wilson School District
– Spring Township Police Department received a call at 8:30 am on the 10-digit, non-emergency line stating that there was a shooting at the high school campus. Police were dispatched to the school at 8:32 am.
– Spring Township Police reported to the High School at 8:36 am and began to sweep the high school. The school was simultaneously placed on lockdown due to a possible threat inside the school. Whitfield was placed into a lockout due to a possible outside threat.
– Police secured the perimeter of the campus and began sweeping the school. After completing the initial sweep, they conducted a second, more thorough search and determined the school was clear.
– Students began to be dismissed from the high school at 10:00 am to allow staff to debrief and the investigation to continue. Whitfield Elementary School resumed its traditional school day.
– Law enforcement continuing its investigation to determine the call’s origin. Other school districts throughout the region received similar calls throughout the day today. It is believed that what happened at Wilson is what is referred to as “swatting.” Swatting is a form of prank in which individuals contact local police departments to report a shooting or other violent incident which did not occur to generate a police response.
