Updated (4:30 p.m.)
A bomb threat was called in to Lee County High School this afternoon, forcing a lockdown of the school while law enforcement officials conducted a search.
Lee County Sheriff Brian Estes said the call came from an 800 number at about 12:20 p.m., and the threat “didn’t appear to be credible.” Still, school administration, school resource officers and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office communicated and determined that the school would be locked down to investigate.
In collaboration with law enforcement, the district decided that students would be dismissed at 2 pm. All students were safely dismissed, and after further investigation, the phone call was determined to have been a hoax.
“The safety of students and staff remains our top priority, and we will continue to review this matter and take appropriate steps in response,” the district said in a statement.
The lockdown led to parents lining up outside and across from the school, several reporting receiving calls and text messages from their students inside. The sheriff’s office assured the public in a social media post at 12:48 p.m., 28 minutes after the called-in threat, that the incident did not involve an active shooter.
Several posts on social media from parents have included stories of students barricading their classrooms or crouching behind books and desks for fear of an active shooter. One parent wrote that her daughter saw “SWAT team members” running through the hallways before she understood the lockdown was due to a bomb threat.
One parent (who asked not to have her name published) standing outside of the school waiting for her child to be released told The Rant: “[My son] texted me and said he was barricaded in a classroom. Barricaded. One classmate was in the closet, another was in the bathroom. That didn’t sound like a bomb threat to us.”
Rant reader Jessi Hill provided video (published below) that shows, in the background, students leaving Lee County High School through windows this afternoon during the lockdown. A second video (below) shows parents lined up outside of the school waiting for their children to be released.
This is what happens when you have democrats running things
This ^^^^^ is what happens when people fail at life.
It’s probably some Magahead who’s angry about the school providing free lunch to a hungry child.
As always, God Bless America, and screw you red-hatters!
all most always a disturbed kid from a broken home . Dad is a lying lefty Skirt chaser left home for some younger Liberal and a mom that is home alone collecting aid smokin crack
Look at this lefty who supports abortion but feels they have to right to say God Bless. Take your dumb uneducated assumption somewhere else.
My favorite Disney movie is Wreck-It Ralph
no im am not a megahead
I think the district needs to rethink its safety training. A standard lock down drill can’t be used for all types of threats. No one should stay in the building it there is a bomb threat.
I agree
akiabrown5@gmail.com
I completely agree with this comment and furthermore I believe all schools should invest in getting metal detectors and airport scanners at every entrance and exit at the school. No one can get in or out without going thru the metal detectors, period.ā¼ļø
O.K. and who do you think should pay for the these metal detectors? Including the maintenance, upkeep, installation, training on how to use them, ensuring they are properly staffed. I sure as hell don’t want my tax dollars going toward something like this. Well, how about this then. If that is the answer that people agree with, then only parents who children attend the school that these are installed in, they have to foot the entire bill and ensure they are properly working 100% of the time, which includes maintenance, training, and staffing of units, throughout the entire school day, it will be a full time job for someone. And this must be done every day of every year until the child graduates. Now does that seem fair?
Oh, and if a child does have something, who is going to restrain that child? A teacher? Another student? A parent? Maybe law enforcement official. Not as simple as just saying ” we need metal detectors or scanners.”
Actually this post has nothing to do with politics. Nut job, pitiful life people on both sides love an excuse to feel like they are relevant and smart. Do us all a favor stay home and shut the hell up.
Well said. Period.
I’m glad it was just a hoax. It was very scary.
I called in the threat