Sheriff’s office: East Bladen High School cleared and safe after active shooter call

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office received a call Thursday afternoon about an active shooter at East Bladen High School. At about 1:20 p.m., the sheriff’s office announced on Facebook that the school was searched by law enforcement and is safe.

Deputies searched the school and determined that it was safe, but Bladen County Schools will still be operating the entire district on a soft lockdown for the rest of the day “out of an abundance of caution.”

“The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office received a call that there was an active shooter at East Bladen High School. Deputies arrived within minutes of the call. The campus has been thoroughly checked by law enforcement,” said the sheriff’s office on Facebook.

One person drove to the school to pick up their son after the school was declared safe. They attempted to move the rifle, but they accidentally fired a round into the truck floorboard. They were arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm on school campus. They were given a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Sheriff Jim McVicker noted that there have been multiple hoax active shooter calls across the Eastern United States recently.

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