As long as theyre proactive and they just dont push this aside, Clark said. Student caught with gun at Hopewell High School, Ahead of new age verification law, Pornhub blocks access in Virginia, Henrico installing permanent roundabouts off Horsepen Road, Henrico Police arrest man in deadly Highland Park shooting, Utility rate increase starts July 1 in Richmond, Teacher accused of inappropriate relationship with student. WebHopewell Area School District put under lockdown after false report of school shooting March 29, 2023 at 2:16 PM Hopewell placed all staff and students on lockdown just Swatting is a term used to describe the practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to have a large number of police officers or law enforcement tactical units dispatched to a particular address. Teen killed in Hopewell; shooting suspects caught We just want to reassure families that your kids are safe. Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Deadly shooting near Hopewell middle school, suspect on the run WebHOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) Hopewell Police is investigating after a man was shot and killed near Carter G. Woodson Middle School Monday night. You never know what's going on unless you're a person in the street. Copyright 2023 WWBT. UPDATE: Fake school shooting calls: Lehigh Valley, Phillipsburg not alone as hoaxes cross Pa. Days after a school shooter killed three students and three adults in Nashville, authorities in the Lehigh Valley and Phillipsburg on Wednesday morning were dealing with a series of fake school shooting calls. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Senior high students had initially evacuated to Hopewell Junior High, but were later moved to Margaret Ross Elementary as the junior high was cleared. WebPublished: Aug. 15, 2022 at 3:26 AM PDT. WebUpdated: Oct 17, 2021 / 11:37 AM EDT. As long as they stay in front of this problem and hopefully this problem wont come back and itll be a good outcome not only for the parents but the students as well.. Instead, school leaders will choose whether to evacuate the building or lockdown based on where the incident is occurring in the building. Pennsylvania State Police in Uniontown said theyve also responded to Laurel Highlands Senior High School for an active shooter threat, another false alarm believed to be a computer generated swatting call.. For many families, the incident and recent events in national news continue to prompt questions about student safety and school shootings in the United States. Hopewell Area School District, March 29, Facebook post Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 29, A major sigh of relief after false reports of active shooters at Pittsburgh-area schools Similar calls were made concerning William Allen High School in Allentown and high schools in the Catasauqua Area, Nazareth Area and Lehighton school districts. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Anyone with information about the fake call should contact the Allentown Police Criminal Investigation division at 610-437-7721 or make an anonymous tip through the Allentown Police Tip411 app. The homicides occur as Hopewell is getting ready to take part in the Group Violence Intervention/Operation Ceasefire program. More: Police sent to Erie High on bogus school shooting report as hoaxes hit other Pa. schools, "People are having such different responses to the whole situation," said Giovanni Krebs, a senior at Hopewell High School. The boy was a student, enrolled virtually, at Prince George High School. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com. HOPEWELL, Va. (WWBT) - Hopewell police have made an arrest in connection with several shootings that left at least two people injured Just after 10:30 a.m., WTAE news broke into regular programming to report that Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic schools in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh were on active shooter alerts as well. Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said the caller first reported students were shot, and then made a second call claiming the armed shooter was still in the school. Police ultimately determined the report was fake part of a spate of swatting calls made to elicit a large police presence and stir chaos but the community's terror in those moments was real. Hopewell police investigating Saturday night shooting ", "It was to the effect that, 'Bring a 9mm to school Friday,' and a specific time," Chief Tranelli said. He would not disclose what state specifically, citing the ongoing investigation. School leaders say the gun was confiscated, and the student was detained. Just days after an active shooter killed six people, including three children, at a Nashville, Tenn., private school, Hopewell students and their parents said Wednesday marked "one of the scariest days" of their lives. As teens filed out of Hopewell High School Wednesday afternoon, many clung together consoling one another. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Nate Branosky confirmed a caller at 7:57 a.m. claimed there was an active shooter and students were wounded at Catasauqua High School, 2500 West Bullshead Road in Allen Township. Superintendent: Juvenile had potential weapon outside of Luckily, the police are all over this, Houck said. Other incidents reported: Hoax swatting calls bring police, lockdowns to schools throughout Pennsylvania. BeaverCountian.com immediately reached out to its senior law enforcement sources who were quickly able to confirm from the scene that those reports were false. I know I bear a very light load of trauma, but I was absolutely terrified. ", "All I heard was 'boomp, boomp, boomp,'" Baker said, stomping her foot for emphasis. WebNick Matoney Show Transcript HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, Pa. The superintendent of the Hopewell Area School District has sent a message to families alerting them about an That's one more than two years ago and one-third of the city's nine reported homicides last year. WebHUNTERSVILLE, N.C. Five students were taken into custody after two guns were found at Hopewell High School in Huntersville, the Huntersville Police Department confirmed. WebBy NBC12 Newsroom. Later, reports of false alerts in Woodland Hills and New Castle also surfaced. Part 1: The Volunteer Firefighter Drain, Who Will Save Us? The investigation revealed that the minors planned to rob Urban of a quarter-pound of marijuana for $800. WebMarch 29, 2023 at 11:23 pm EDT Hoax active shooter calls prompt heavy police response at Pittsburgh area schools PITTSBURGH Law enforcement responded Wednesday This Is Our Story. The student was detained and transported by police. Allegheny County received calls reporting an active shooter in three separate schools. Appeals Court Overturns Local Judge Orders Hearing For Sheldon Jeter Jr. Each Day Is A Memorial Day For This Freedom Family, District Attorney Finds No Wrongdoing In Ambridge Officers Shooting Of Dog, Years Later, Mystery Of Severed Head Remains Subject Of Investigation. Not knowing was difficult, and waiting to hear from the school was frustrating, but the logical side of me kept saying the authorities needed time to sweep the building, and the longer it took the more likely it was a hoax. As a precaution, there was extra police at the high school Wednesday. CMS High School students may be linked to a drive-by shooting on Richard Rozzelle drive that left 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa dead and his four-year-old sister with a gunshot wound, says detectives with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. I cant even explain the feeling of that.. Its terrible that an eight-year-old was taken from us at such a young ageand now, I stand before as a 17-year-old has been taken.. That was reviewed, addressed, it was determined that they didnt have the means to be able to follow through with anything like that, Davis said in a phone interview on Thursday. If there were casualties, there would have been more chatter, more reporting, more online posts.". The purpose of this correspondence is to respond to Hackney went on to discuss two recent incidents where a student brought a gun to school. "Occurrences like this, they literally come out of nowhere," Baker continued. Officials say a student was caught with a gun, which was later confiscated. Hopewell He said the investigation will take time and technical expertise to complete. No motive or suspect descriptions were available. Who Will Save Us? There had been a past history, were not really sure what led up to them actually pulling out a firearm and taking someones life, Chief Starke said. UPDATE: No threat was reported to Emmaus High School. What this does to kids, I cant imagine, he said. Web0:55 HOPEWELL TWP. Once both schools were cleared by early Wednesday afternoon, remaining students were moved to the Hopewell Shopping Center to be transported home following an early dismissal as police continued to investigate the scene. The schools will be having drills this week to practice the new strategies. Officers were called to the 1000 block of At approximately 7 p.m. on Dec. 17, Hopewell police responded to the Hopewell Valley Nature Preserve off Harbourton-Woodsville Road. Parents, some in tears, watched anxiously from behind police lines, eager to embrace their kids. Starke said investigators were combing the area looking for any home surveillance videos or witnesses to the crime. Neither of the boys could explain why. When Aliquippa police received reports of an armed gunman and casualties at Hopewell Senior High School Wednesday morning, first responders were on the scene within minutes. While the threat was quickly dispelled, obviously, you need to investigate the calls like theyre real, including an immediate use of police resources, Houck said. Davis said the gun was not loaded and was confiscated. However, Hackney said as they work to respond to their specific social and emotional needs, she adds, we continue to see a higher level of intensity in much of the misconduct some of our students are exhibiting.. WebHOPEWELL Two teenage males have been arrested for last weeks fatal shooting of 20-year-old Philip Urban, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri and Hopewell Police Good Morning, HCPS Staff, Families and Friends: It was the most terrified I have ever been, said Denise Pascia, a Moon Township preschool assistant whose daughter attends Hopewell High School. WebHigh School Football; Back to School; Community. Hopewell High School school shooter hoax spurs police response As over 89 gun-related incidents have occurred on school campus in 2023, those scared by Wednesday's events want to see some form of change to prevent a serious incident from happening. Our journalism needs your support. The school was locked down and cleared by police. Starke said residents in that area called police dispatch about shots being fired. It was scary sitting at home and not knowing if my friends and peers were safe, or even alive, said senior Gillian Morse, who had gone home sick earlier that day. Later Wednesday morning, the Tribune-Review in Pittsburgh reported schools around western Pennsylvania were also dealing with fake shooting calls. school Hill Jr. was charged with second-degree murder and King was charged with accessory to murder. The types of things that have been discussed so far include things like doing a review and audit of our security practices in determining if theres anything that we can do to improve the kind of specific routines, Davis said. Within 15 minutes, it was pretty clear there were no reports of an actual event or casualties, Lozier said. On Wednesday, 11/3/21, a report was made to Hopewell High School administration that a student was on school grounds with a firearm. The fake call was extremely frustrating, he said. With this, Hackney said theyd re-evaluated their crisis management, response practices, and communication protocols in these instances. It was easily one of the worst situations Ive ever been in and I wouldnt wish this on absolutely anybody.. There were families home asleep and to have this type of activity where live rounds are being fired in the street is just totally unacceptable.".