PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) – A reported incident at Palmer High School led to a lockdown there and at nearby Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School.
According to Palmer Police, dispatchers received a call around 11:10 a.m. from a man claiming a person was inside the Palmer High School building “shooting people.” The caller also claimed a number of people had already been shot.
Palmer High School and Old Mill Pond were place on lockdown while police searched the high school. Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School was also put in a shelter-in-place.
The two schools are just four minutes away from each other, Palmer High School is located at 4105 Main St. and Pathfinder is at 240 Sykes St.
Palmer Police found no threat inside the school and determined the call to be a swatting incident. Officers will remain on the campus for the remainder of the day.
Several Massachusetts schools received threats Tuesday including the following:
- Springfield
- According to Springfield police spokesperson Ryan Walsh, a swatting incident involved Central High School. The call was investigated but quickly refuted.
- Northampton
- Police said at around 11 a.m. dispatchers received a call reporting a shooter at the high school. The high school was locked down and officers and school staff worked to clear the building. It was determined to be a non-credible threat.
- Great Barrington
- Police said they received a threat to the high school and protocols were followed. The threat was deemed to be not credible and students and staff are safe.
- Greenfield
- Police said at around 11:02 a.m. the Greenfield Dispatch Center received a call of a potential threat of a person with a gun at an unspecified school in Greenfield, possibly the High School or Stoneleigh Burnham School but not definitively. Police ensured everyone was safe.
- Pittsfield
- A “swatting” incident occurred at Pittsfield High School. At around 10:40 a.m., dispatch received an anonymous report of an active shooting at the school. Officers and school staff worked to clear the building and determined it was a false call.
- North Adams
- North Adams Police received a report of shots fired inside the Drury High School but was quickly determined to be false. North Adams police cleared the school out of safety for the staff and students and found no threats. Officers remained on campus for the remainder of the day.
- Foxborough
- Police said at around 8:50 a.m. the high school was a victim of a “swatting” call.
The threat comes on the heels of Monday’s horrific tragedy at The Covenant School in Nashville where a shooter killed 6 people, 3 of which were children all just 9 years old.