FBI, PA State Police Probing Active Shooter Hoax Calls To Schools

PITTSBURGH, PA — The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a flurry of school active shooter and bomb threat hoax calls in the city and across the state on Wednesday. The calls prompted the evacuation of Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic High Schools, both in Oakland.

The calls were made two days after three children and three adults were shot to death at a private Christian grade school in Nashville, TN. The shooter was fatally shot by police.

Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs said County 911 received separate calls reporting that there was an active shooter in the two schools. Similar calls were received in Erie and Meadville, as well as in the Blair and Bedford County areas, Pennsylvania State Police said.

State police in Harrisburg Wednesday afternoon said a series of calls were made to 911 centers about schools across the state involving threats of an active shooter situation or bomb threat. The calls e created multiple lockdowns and/or evacuations of the schools with a large response from police and emergency services.

"These phone calls were made to several schools in different counties," a release from the state police stated. "All calls have had similar content. All calls are being thoroughly investigated and responded to by law enforcement."

The calls created lockdowns and/or evacuations of the schools with a large response from police and emergency services. State police responded to all incidents in its primary coverage areas and contacted municipal law enforcement partners investigating these incidents in their coverage areas.

"At this time, all claims in these calls have been determined to be false," the release stated.

The FBI's Pittsburgh office said it takes swatting - the practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address - very seriously.

Swatting "puts innocent people at risk," the FBI said in a new release.

"We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately."