The Hewitt Police Department is investigating after Midway Middle School was placed on lockdown this afternoon.
Hewitt police said the school was placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution after a student reported hearing a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot.
"A series of unfortunate events have led to considerable disruption and confusion at Midway Middle School," said Midway Middle School in a release. "This afternoon a student set off a false lockdown alarm."
Another student was then scared by the false lockdown, because he associated it with a prior argument at a basketball game from Thursday, and called 911 with claims of having heard gunshots, said spokesperson Traci Marlin. The gunshots did not actually happen, according to Midway Middle School.
Hewitt police are sweeping the building and checking every room, but the lockdown is being lifted and first responders will be on site until the end of the day.
"At this point, there has not been a credible threat or any actual danger to our students, but certainly there are plenty of rumors and confusion," said Marlin. "We are all safe and appreciate the quick and thorough response of our first responders to verify the situation."
Below is Midway Middle School's full statement:
Yesterday, two students had an argument at a basketball game that ended with one threatening the other. It was reported and addressed, but was not credible.
Today, someone activated a false lockdown during a passing period.
At least one student who heard about the basketball game situation thought the situations were related. The student was scared by the lockdown and called 9-1-1. He reported hearing gunshots, which did NOT actually happen.
As you can understand, we had to address multiple things happening at once to implement the lockdown, investigate the source, as well as the reason for the 9-1-1 call.
The lockdown protocols were implemented quickly and efficiently, even during a passing period. I am very proud of our staff for clearing the halls and securing our students in seconds. Our first responders arrived immediately and treated the situation carefully and seriously. They were able to sweep the building and verify the status efficiently and quickly.
