Carrboro Elementary student made false active shooter call, police say
Carrboro police said Wednesday that the false report of an active shooter at Carrboro Elementary School the day before came from a student at the school, and investigators are working to determine if charges will be filed against the juvenile.
In addition to the officers, fire fighters and first responders from Carrboro Fire Department, Orange County EMS, and Orange County Emergency Management also arrived at the school after the hoax call was received.
No injuries were reported, but officers arrived on the scene within two minutes of the call being received, authorities said.
"We would like to thank the community and especially the parents of students at Carrboro Elementary School for their patience in what was a tense situation," Carrboro police Capt. Chris Atack said in a written statement. "While we are relieved that this situation turned out to be false, we want the community to know that we will continue to be vigilant in our training and preparation for these types of incidents."
False reports of school threats are a felony and students could face expulsion if they have found to made a hoax call, school administrators and law enforcement officers have said previously.
Rachel Heggen, a spokeswoman for the Town of Carrboro, said Tuesday that authorities had searched both schools, found nothing and released students and other children to their parents by 12:30 p.m.
Despite it being a false alarm, parents who came to pick up their children were shaken and upset by the prospect of an active shooter being on the campus, considering the number of mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. and at public schools in recent weeks.
"I burst into tears because it's terrifying. It's the call you never want to get," said Jennifer Bills.
