Cops Clear South County Hospital, No Active Shooter Found: South Kingstown PD

Incoming patients were diverted to other facilities, police said.

By Joseph Hosey, Patch Staff

Aug 17, 2026 1:47 PM EDT | Updated Aug 17, 2026 2:58 PM EDT

WAKEFIELD, RI — Police cleared South County Hospital in Wakefield and confirmed the report of an active shooter was unfoundedis in lockdown due to a report of an active shooter, police said.

"There is no active shooter, no threat has been identified, and there are no victims," the South Kingstown Police Department said in a social media post.

"K9 teams remain on scene and will continue to conduct an additional secondary sweep of the building as a precaution," the post said.

In an earlier post, police said officers were sent to the hospital "for a reported active shooter incident" and said the hospital was on lockdown.

Incoming patients were diverted to other facilities and that remained the case even after the hospital was physically cleared, police said.

Police also asked the public to continue avoiding the area of the hospital.

The hospital acknowledged the lockdown in a social media post.

"We are aware of a reported threat involving our hospital," the post said.

"The hospital is currently under lockdown as a precaution while law enforcement and emergency response partners assess the situation on site," the hospital said in the post. "The safety of our patients, visitors, and staff is our highest priority."