Police across Pennsylvania respond to active shooter hoax calls at school district

Police across Pennsylvania respond to active shooter hoax calls at school districts

Large police presences converged on multiple schools across Pennsylvania as authorities investigated active shooter hoaxes.

Police responded to Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic high schools in Oakland, around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday.

There are no reports of injuries. No active shooter has been found at any location.

Additionally, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon lifted lockdowns.

Active shooter situation right now Central Catholic High School, Oakland Pittsburgh. I’m just 100 feet away. Police cars continue to arrive on the scene. pic.twitter.com/MXCHe2Dw3u

— Pittsburgh For Progress🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Pitt4Progress) March 29, 2023

At this time, state police say the threats appear to be computer-generated “swatting calls,” but they are all being taken seriously.

State police out of the Blair and Bedford county areas tweeted, “PSP Hollidaysburg and Rockview stations are responding to active shooter threats at local schools that have been called in by telephone. We are treating each incident with standard law enforcement protocols. However, the calls are believed to be computer generated swatting calls.”

An Allegheny County spokesperson said, "County 9-1-1 has received three separate calls reporting that there is an active shooter in three separate schools. We are also aware that similar reports are coming in for schools outside of the county. In each instance, law enforcement is responding but believes that these are false reports. Thus far, there has been no active shooter found and no injuries at any school. Law enforcement will continue to thoroughly check out any reports."

This situation appears to have impacted schools in multiple counties.

New Castle police said they received a phone call from a male threatening to shoot up New Castle High School. The school was immediately put on lockdown, and NCPD units were all on the scene within minutes. The school was cleared by law enforcement and New Castle Area School District personnel, and the lockdown has been lifted.

In addition, Hopewell High School in Beaver County received a similar call, as did Laurel Highland High School in Fayette County.

"FBI Pittsburgh 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."