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STATEMENT REGARDING FALSE ACTIVE SHOOTER REPORT AT STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL

Post Date:10/21/2022 12:59 PM

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Stamford

 

Friday, October 21, 2022

 

Contact:

Lauren Meyer

203-977-5115

LMeyer@stamfordct.gov

 

STATEMENT REGARDING FALSE ACTIVE SHOOTER REPORT AT STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL

STAMFORD, CT – This morning at 8:55 am, Stamford High School received a notification of a threat of an active shooter in the building. The school was immediately put on lockdown and the Stamford Police Department and other emergency services responded and all protocols were followed by staff and students.

As Stamford Police was vetting the Stamford High School incident, the Police Department made a decision to begin the process of locking down other schools district wide. This was done out of an abundance of caution to keep our children and teachers safe.

During the process of notifying all district wide schools, the original incident was deemed a hoax and the district wide lockdown was lifted at 9:11 am. This was a fluid and fast-moving incident. We are aware that not all schools went into a lockdown, but that was due to the Stamford Police Department vetting this incident quickly as a hoax within 16 minutes, and some schools were just being notified as they lifted the district wide lockdown.

Due to the number of emergency personnel and the size of the Stamford High School campus, that lockdown remained in place and was lifted at 9:30 am. At that point, students and staff were notified and classes resumed.

Although this was deemed a hoax, an active investigation is underway to identify the person or persons responsible for this disruption. The Stamford Police Department has been notified that other Fairfield County school districts received similar threats this morning. We were advised they are continuing their investigation with the other communities affected, and will consult with the FBI, if necessary, for assistance.

Unfortunately, these types of incidents are on the rise in Connecticut and around the country. We know these incidents are stressful for parents and students, but we would like to assure everyone that safety in our district is paramount, and we are satisfied with the way the Stamford Public Schools and Emergency Services handled this situation and rendered the school safe. We have staff social workers available on site for anyone who would like to talk about this or have any additional concerns.

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