Bluefield, West Virginia (WVNS) – On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, a hoax call was received at a 9-1-1 center in Mountain State claiming that a shooting had occurred at a local school.
Raleigh, Greenbrier, and Mercer counties were among 13 statewide counties that received hoax calls that an active shooter was at the school on Wednesday morning.
Bluefield High School was one of many schools in the state that were closed, but Principal Mike Collins said they were only closed for a few minutes while the Bluefield Police Department cleared the scene.
“The Bluefield Police called and said they were going to come and check. So when they arrived and checked the situation, we had a lockout for about 10 minutes,” Collins said. “Of course, we take everything seriously when it comes to whether we think it is a real threat. But they came, checked in for about 10 minutes, and then we were back to normal at Bluefield High.”
“These calls appear to be from out-of-state numbers with fake threats. I want to reassure everyone that we are cooperating with local law enforcement and are taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”
Rob Cunningham, deputy cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, said this has indeed happened in other states recently, with similar false calls coming in to multiple school districts at the same time.
“I am aware that the FBI has launched an investigation into today’s incident and believes it is linked to a nationwide investigation,” Cunningham told 59 News.
After establishing that the threat was not credible, Cunningham admitted that he was proud of the speed and efficiency with which the coordinated response was made. He said the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security are cooperating effectively, and he is also pleased with the quick response from schools and law enforcement across the state.
“Everyone has responded exactly as planned, and if you are a parent in this state, you should be happy with the fact that we have a great plan and wonderful people who are implementing it,” Cunningham said.
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Post time: Dec-14-2022