Police respond to hoax threats at multiple Pa. schools
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- There was a significant law enforcement presence at multiple schools in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Wednesday as police responded to hoax threats made against the schools.
The threats came two days after a shooter killed six people at a Christian school in Nashville.
Allentown police said they were at William Allen High School for a hoax threat before 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Pennsylvania State Police said they were at Catasauqua High School in Allen Township Wednesday morning for another hoax threat around the same time.
Troopers tactically cleared the school and determined there was no shooting, and the call was a hoax.
Lehighton High School was also put on lockdown, but borough and school police investigated and did not find a threat, the school said on Twitter.
This morning the Lehighton Borough Police received a message stating that there was gunfire at the high school. They immediately contacted the school district and the high school was put on a working lockdown. The Lehighton Borough and school police conducted a search and nothing
— LehightonHighSchool (@LehightonHighSc) March 29, 2023
State police said hoax calls about active shooter threats and bomb threats were made to several schools in different counties in the state.
"All calls have had similar content. All calls are being thoroughly investigated and responded to by law enforcement. These calls have created lockdowns and/or evacuations of the schools with a large response from police and emergency services," the statement said.
"At this time, all claims in these calls have been determined to be false. All schools involved have been cleared or are in the process of being cleared by law enforcement."
Schools around Pittsburgh and central Pennsylvania also received threats, according to CBS News Pittsburgh.
The State Police barracks in Hollidaysburg said the threats are "believed to be computer-generated swatting calls."
PSP Hollidaysburg and Rockview stations are responding to active shooter threats at local schools that have been called in by telephone. We are treating each incident with standard law enforcement protocols. However, the calls are believed to be computer generated swatting calls
— Troopers Christopher Fox and Jacob Rhymestine (@PSPTroopGPIO) March 29, 2023