A fake 911 report of a shooting at Oak Harbor High School Wednesday triggered a large response by law enforcement and emergency responders that police say demonstrated readiness in the event of a real incident.
Capt. Tony Slowik with the Oak Harbor Police Department characterized the call as “swatting,” which is a fake emergency call meant to draw a police response. He said detectives are working with regional and federal investigators to identify the culprit, who could face felony charges.
“It’s definitely a crime,” Slowik said. “It utilizes a lot of resources in a case like this and has an impact on the community.”
Similar fake calls were made to police across the country this week, but detectives don’t know if the incidents are connected.
At about 10:10 a.m., an unknown person called the ICOM emergency dispatcher center and reported that people had been shot inside the high school. Oak Harbor police quickly responded, along with the Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Oak Harbor Fire Department, WhidbeyHealth EMS, the State Patrol and Oak Harbor Public Works. A Life Flight helicopter from the hospital took to the air as a precaution.
During the event, officers stayed in contact with representatives of the school district, the Navy and other regional agencies, according to the police.
Morgan Cooper, the newest commissioner for WhidbeyHealth, said she was pleased to hear during the board meeting Thursday about how the hospital also immediately sprang into action on the news of the possible shooting. The ER called in extra doctors, other staff was put on call, the blood supply was checked and nearby Island Hospital was notified.
“There was this synergy of everyone working together,” she said.
The school district locked down the high school and nearby Hillcrest Elementary School. Slowik explained that the police department’s school resource officer was on scene and immediately assessed the threat, or lack thereof, and communicated the information.
Police conducted a search of the school and confirmed that there was no danger. The lockdown was lifted about an hour after it began.
While the call was fake, Slowik said, the response went off without a hitch, even with the large number of people involved, including officers, first responders, school employees and students. He said officers train frequently for active shooter response and it showed.
“All the processes were followed and people responded the way they should have,” he said.
The school district communicated with families and reiterated that the threat was not real.
“All of our schools have established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that contribute to maintaining a safe learning environment for our students and staff,” the district reported. “School personnel will be reviewing those plans and continuing our ongoing relationship with law enforcement to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.”
