February 21, 2023 10:45 a.m.

Tuesday morning law enforcement received multiple reports of an active shooter at various Douglas County schools.

Lieutenant Brad O’Dell of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said as of mid-morning all reports have been false. O’Dell said law enforcement responded to each report and took them seriously.

DCSO said parents may have a reaction to want to pick up their child from school, but law enforcement is urging parents to not do that. O’Dell said doing so can result in additional chaos and panic as well as detract law enforcement from focusing on their assigned tasks.

O’Dell said, ‘We believe these to be swatting incidents to instigate police response and generate panic among responders and community members. O’Dell said, “There have been similar incidents occurring nationwide for at least the past 24 hours. Law Enforcement will respond to and assess each incident appropriately’.

O’Dell also asked that the community avoid calling 911 or the non-emergency number to check on the status of these incidents or inquire about picking up students.

DCSO urged the community to look to credible news sources, government and emergency response organizations for updates to avoid misinformation.