SHS placed in lockdown, no threat found
SPD officers will continue extra patrols
A threat made toward Sterling High School Wednesday afternoon was unsubstantiated.
According to a press release from Sterling Police Department, shortly after 1 p.m. this afternoon, an unknown person called into
Sterling City Hall making threats towards Sterling High School using similar language as was used in previous swatting calls across the state on Wednesday.
“Sterling Police Officers were already in the area patrolling and in the high school when the threat was received allowing us to quickly secure the school and unsubstantiate the threat,” SPD said.
Out of an abundance of caution, SHS was placed on lockdown and all other schools were put on lockout. Sterling Police Officers systematically searched the school finding no threat and ensuring all students and staff were safe. At 1:48 p.m. Sterling Police provided an all clear and lifted the lockout and lockdown orders.
“Officers will continue extra patrols and the investigation into the incident will continue,” SPD said.
Throughout the incident, Sterling Police maintained constant communication with RE-1 Valley Interim Superintendent Dr. Martin Foster and other RE-1 administration in a cooperative effort.
Earlier in the day, SPD put out an alert on its Facebook page stating that it was working closely with the district as there had been a number of schools throughout Colorado that had received swatting phone calls regarding threats made against schools. Swatting refers to a subject knowingly filing a false report to authorities indicating an eminent threat.
“At this time none of the threats have been deemed credible or substantial and we are monitoring the situation closely,” the SPD said in the Facebook posting.
A message sent to parents by Dr. Foster stated that he contacted the principal at each school to notify them of the statewide swatting situation. He assured
parents that if this did happen at one of RE-1’S schools the police would be immediately notified and the Standard Response Protocol would be put in place to keep all students and staff safe.
“If this does happen at one of our schools we will respond immediately to keep all students and staff safe,” the SPD said in its Facebook posting. “Again, please know that we are working closely with the school district to assure the safety and well-being of all students and staff in each of our schools.”
The Denver Post reported that Boulder Police Department did not find any threats or injuries at Boulder High School after an unfounded active shooter call was made to police Wednesday morning, sending the school into lockdown. A person called a non-emergency number for the University of Colorado Police Department Wednesday at 8:33 a.m. saying they were at Boulder High School with semi-automatic weapons and were prepared to go in the school, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said in a press conference. After the caller said that, “very realistic gun sounds” could be heard in the background of the call.
Herold said she is not prepared to identify the call as a “hoax” or “swatting incident, though numerous other similar reports came in from school districts across the state in the same day, but there is no evidence the caller was ever at Boulder High School.
According to law enforcement, multiple other Colorado schools received various threats Wednesday as well, including Brighton High School, Canyon City High School, Ortega Middle School in Alamosa, Glenwood Springs High School and Aspen Schools, spurring lockdowns and shelter-in-place warnings. The threats ranged from calls about active shooters to bomb threats and “unknown incidents,” but were determined to be unfounded and no one reported any injuries.