SHELBY — Classes resumed Tuesday afternoon at Shelby City Schools after a false alarm triggered a lockdown at the campus earlier in the day.
Shelby High School received a report of a threat via a vehicle in the parking lot with someone possessing explosives, according to a letter issued by Supt. Michael Browning.
Browning said the district immediately implemented safety protocols, putting the high school on a Level 2 lockdown and the PreK-8th grade on a Level 1 lockdown. The district also canceled preschool classes out of an abundance of caution.
Shelby Police and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office conducted a thorough sweep of the campus and parking areas and found no threat.
“Authorities have determined this to be a false report, commonly referred to as a “swatting” incident,” Browning said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines swatting as “a malicious act that can involve placing false emergency calls to emergency responders, often reporting a (false) severe, ongoing crisis at a specific location.”
“Shelby Police have determined it is safe for students to resume normal school activities,” Browning added.
Browning said officers will remain on campus and monitor the situation for the remainder of the afternoon.
“Student safety will always be at the forefront go what we do,” he said. “We very much appreciate the quick response from both the Shelby Police and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and the cooperation of our students and staff during this situation.”
Browning said law enforcement will investigate the phone call to determine further action against the caller.
Officials from the Shelby Police Department were not available for comment at the time of publication.
