Case of mistaken identity led to code red lockdown at two Fayetteville schools

The student saw someone in a hoodie and reported her concerns to a teacher, who initiated the lockdown and the investigation. However, when deputies and school staff reviewed video footage, the person in the hoodie was identified as a staff member whom the student did not recognize.

Both Seventy-First and Seventy-First Classical were locked down right after 9 a.m. as law enforcement investigated the report.

"It was a lot of confusion, like different stories," said Sariya McGregor, 16, who was in class when the lockdown began. "Everybody just thought it was a drill until we noticed how long we were in there, and we kept getting messages about how there was a shooter in the building."

During the lockdown, the sheriff said, several students inside the school called their parents. Those messages led to frantic 911 calls from parents. Some - like McGregor's mom - rushed to the school's campus.

"She was scared, and my brother was scared, too. We just wanted to go home.," said McGregor.

By 10 a.m., officers announced that there was no active threat or shooter.

"There was never a legitimate threat at the school, nor were shots fired," the sheriff's office said.

"After looking at the security cameras, we learned that that was in fact a staff member. It was really a misunderstanding, but this is a lesson for us to remember the importance of understanding the protocols that the school followed," said Cumberland County Associate Superintendent Lindsay Whitley.

A county-wide alert went out at 10:19 a.m., telling the community: "Seventy First Classical and High School are all-clear. No injuries reported at this time."

That caused some confusion, since the threat was unfounded.

"In some cases, everyone didn’t understand the message so we’re working through exactly what happened and how we can improve that in the future," said Whitley.

The school system says it will work with the sheriff’s office and go back and review how all this played out.

Despite the scare, the school system and law enforcement emphasize that the student did the right thing to keep everyone safe.

Although several parents arrived on campus to pick up their students, classes at the two schools were being held as scheduled. No early dismissal was necessary.

"We are thankful that our lockdown plan worked exactly as it should and that all students and staff are safe," said Whitley.