‘Hoax’ sweeps through Utah schools, prompting police presence

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL.com) — Several Utah schools are among the targets of unfounded shooting threats happening across the country Wednesday, multiple police agencies and school districts say.

It started here when a “hoax” prompted a large police presence at Ogden High School, according to the Ogden School District.

“Ogden High School has been the victim of a hoax related to school violence. Repeat: this is a hoax,” district officials tweeted.

Police were dispatched to the school to clear the building in order to follow a precautionary safety protocol, district officials added. Social media was flooded with reports of a large police presence at the school Wednesday.

“We understand the concern of parents. Please understand the obligation to support law-enforcement response in their precautionary protocol,” the district tweeted. “Please do not come to the school. … Students will not be released until police have cleared the building.”

Similar incidents popped up elsewhere in the state at about the same time. Salt Lake police officials said they also received a call of a possible active shooter at West High School on Wednesday. They called the report “unfounded,” noting that Salt Lake City School District schools are on spring break this week.

Provo police said they received a report of “an active violent event” at Provo High School, as well. As they responded, they learned that a similar threat had been made to at least four other schools in Utah County, including Spanish Fork High School. Spanish Fork police said they responded to the school, resulting in a lockdown there but the school was found to be safe.

School districts across the country also reported being victims of the hoax. It comes after three adults and three children were killed at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday.