False active shooter call prompts lockdown at Rochester High School Tuesday
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Deputies responded to Rochester High School on Tuesday after receiving a false tip about an active shooter, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Dispatch received a phone call at 8:47 a.m. from a person who reported the active shooter, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.
The caller claimed to be a teacher and said seven people had been shot. They said the shooter used a long rifle and was still somewhere on campus, according to the release. The call came just as several other schools across the state experienced similar hoaxes.
Thurston County deputies responded to the call and Rochester High School quickly went into lockdown, the news release says. Other local schools went into lockdown as a precaution as well.
Multiple law enforcement agencies from around the region responded to Rochester High School. The first law enforcement officer arrived just three minutes after the initial call.
Responding law enforcement found nothing after conducting a “complete sweep” of the school, according to the news release. The lockdown was lifted at 9:37 a.m.
Rochester School District Superintendent Jennifer Bethman acknowledged the incident in a Facebook post directed at families Tuesday afternoon. Though the call was false, Bethman said this was a “very scary and stressful” situation.
“I want you to know that the Rochester High School staff and students did a superb job,” Bethman said. “They did everything right. We are fortunate that this event was not an imminent threat.”
Bethman said the district implemented emergency response protocols and put nearby elementary schools into a modified lockdown as law enforcement investigated.
“Because of the world we live in, we have to train for events that we hope will never happen,” Bethman said. “I want to commend all our staff and students for executing and practicing drills regularly. We do the drills, so students and staff are ready if the worst happens.”
Bethman also thanked law enforcement for their quick response. A school resource officer first entered the school, followed by officers from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, she said.
The Rochester School District resumed classes Wednesday morning for a shortened day prior to Thanksgiving. Bethman said school counselors and mental health counselors would be available for students who may need help.
Similar hoax phone calls prompted law enforcement responses at several other schools across Washington state Tuesday morning.
During the incident, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office learned of another false alarm that occurred at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. The news release says there were “significant similarities in the specific details” that were called in at both schools.
Law enforcement also responded to high schools in Clark, Snohomish, Whatcom and Skagit counties, The News Tribune reported. All were false reports.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says it’s investigating the Rochester incident in collaboration with other local and federal agencies.
This story was originally published November 23, 2022 at 10:20 AM.
