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It's a crime: Hoax threats against schools across the state not just pranks

After dozens of reports of active shooter situations on school campuses rolled across North Carolina on Thursday, law enforcement officers issued this reminder: Any threat against a school is not simply a prank. It is a felony.

Posted Updated

By
Gilbert Baez
and
Sarah Krueger, WRAL reporters
DURHAM, N.C. — After dozens of reports of active shooter situations on school campuses rolled across North Carolina on Thursday, law enforcement officers issued this reminder: Any threat against a school is not simply a prank. It is a felony.

From east in little Washington to west in Brevard County, North Carolina schools were targeted by false threats and deceptive calls. In no case was a threat actually found.

Lt. Patrice Bogertey, spokesperson for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, said, "It wasn't an actual threat. There never was. We're seeing that this is a trend throughout our state here recently.

"What this does to law enforcement, and any first responder, is it puts us on high alert because we don't know that it's a false threat until we get there."

  • In Fayetteville, when someone called 911 reporting students had been shot at Jack Britt High School on Rockfish Road. That report was also false, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
  • Leesville Road Middle School in Raleigh was also on lockdown Thursday for about 10 minutes after a prank call that police received.
  • In Charlotte, local media reported prank calls to four schools: Olympic High School, Mallard Creek High School, West Charlotte High School, and Northwest School of the Arts.
  • The Bladen County Sheriff's Office investigated a report of an active shooter at East Bladen High School.
  • The Elizabeth City Police Department said threats were made Northeastern High School via an anonymous text.
  • The Burlington Police Department responded to an incident at Williams High School. The school is currently on lockdown.
  • WECT News reported New Hanover High School in Wilmington was also the victim of a hoax.
  • WXII reported lockdowns at Wilkes Central and Williams high schools.
  • A spokesperson from New Hanover said similar pranks calls have been placed at schools and government buildings across the country this week.

Bogertey said, "It's a threat of mass violence is what it is. Even though it's a hoax, it's still a felony."

Firefighters and police swarmed to Hillside High School in Durham in response to the report of an active shooter. That threat was quickly determined to be a hoax.

A mother whose children attend Hillside said she heard a Vance County high school was also on lockdown Thursday morning.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said several schools in his state were also targeted by a hoax and false reports about an active shooter on Wednesday.

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