Police are investigating ‘false’ reports of shootings at high schools in Anchorage and Fairbanks
Updated: 1 hours ago Published: 1 hours ago
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Police in Anchorage and Fairbanks say they are investigating reports of active shootings at high schools Wednesday afternoon that drew a large law enforcement response but turned out to be false.
The Anchorage Police Department said a caller “stated there was an active shooter” at Eagle River High School at 1:34 p.m.
“Officers have determined that this allegation is unfounded,” police said in a statement. “There were no shots fired, no weapons were found and no one was injured.”
The source of the report remains under investigation. A police spokeswoman declined to answer additional questions Wednesday afternoon.
In Fairbanks, a similar call came in just before 2 p.m. to 911 when someone reported an active shooter at Lathrop High School.
The Fairbanks Police Department, as well as other area law enforcement agencies, “immediately responded to the school,” the department said. “As of 2:18 p.m., there is no confirmation that there is an active shooter or that there is anyone injured.”
A message from the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to families said all students were safe “and the threat has been confirmed to be false.”
In Anchorage, dozens of patrol cars could be seen speeding toward the Glenn Expressway at the time of the Eagle River High School active shooter report.
Anchorage police spokeswoman Renee Oistad declined to say whether the two calls were related.
Fairbanks police spokeswoman Teal Soden said if they weren’t, “it’s too much of a coincidence. But the investigation in this regard will be done.”
Students at nearby Lathrop and Ryan Middle Schools were placed on lockdown but were released within an hour or so, Soden said, adding that the situation was highly unusual.
“It’s not very common for someone to actually call an active shooter and say there are kids that have been shot,” she said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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