A caller said six students were shot at MS Coast schools. It was all a hoax.
SWAT teams and other local, state, and federal officers spent Friday morning searching schools in Hancock County and Biloxi after receiving 911 calls about an active shooter that had already injured six students, but it all turned out to be a hoax, authorities said.
Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam said the special response teams and other officers arrived at Hancock County High School around 9:30 a.m. after receiving the fraudulent 911 call.
“The SRTs (special response teams) are there now going through all the buildings, “ Adam said shortly after receiving the report. “The schools are all empty today. I’m sure the caller did not realize the schools were closed today here on the Coast.”
In Biloxi, the special response teams first descended on Biloxi Jr. High School after receiving the threat there around the same time as Hancock County did Friday.
After local, state and federal officers did a room-by-room search of those schools, authorities in Biloxi expanded the search to other schools that included Biloxi Upper Elementary, North Bay Elementary and Biloxi High School.
Biloxi Police Chief John Miller first confirmed that SWAT team members, also known as SRT’s, did a search of Biloxi Jr. High first, where the caller said six students were down.
Authorities expanded the search at other schools as a precaution but found no threat in any of the buildings.
Students are out of school in Biloxi as well.
“We responded and are trying to sort through things now,” Miller said.
The searches ended in Hancock County later Friday without incident.
By 10 a.m. Friday, Biloxi Fire Deputy Chief Jason Davis said Biloxi schools had been cleared of any threat and teachers were returning to the schools.
“Fortunately, the children are out of school for the fall, but there were teachers on scene who had to be evacuated and taken to a rehab area,” Davis said.
After the searches ended in Biloxi, the Biloxi school district issued a statement confirming the schools had been placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure. The lockdowns took place at all Biloxi schools and a few students were on campus at the time, though school was not in session.
“Today was a professional development day for staff; school was not in session for students,” Biloxi schools communication specialist, Jennifer Pyron said. “We do not believe this was a credible threat, and no one was in any danger, but we would like to thank our staff and the Biloxi PD for their quick and efficient response. “
The Hancock County School District also released a statement around 11 a.m. to report that authorities had searched the High School and all of the buildings on the campus.
“We would like to thank the Hancock Sheriff’s Department for their swift response,” the statement said. “The Sheriff’s Department reacted swiftly in arriving to the school and working to clear the school, room by room. No one was found on campus. Students and staff are currently on fall break.”
Authorities are also trying to identify the person who called in to report the threat in case the incident is a hoax. To report information, call the Biloxi Police Department at 228-396-0641, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department at 228-466-6900, or Mississippi Coast Crimestoppers at 877-787-5898.
This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 10:28 AM.
