CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The man who made the fake active shooter call to Kanawha County Metro 911 identified himself as Alex Edwards.
That call and more than a dozen others to other 911 centers in West Virginia sent fear throughout high school communities.
“There’s an active shooter at South Charleston High School,” the caller said at around 8 a.m. Wednesday. “He came into the classroom and shot the students.”
The call seemed to have more of a digital quality.
He said it happened in No. 100 biology classroom.
The call lasted about 2:30. He said the shooter had an AR 15 and had shot 17 students.
By the end of morning rush hour, more than a dozen counties had reported similar calls.
“We received multiple calls in multiple counties. I’ve lost count, it was either eight or nine counties in West Virginia for an active shooter situation. I want to emphasize though, none of these calls were credible,” said West Virginia Deputy Homeland Security Director Rob Cunningham.
A press release from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the calls were made to 9-1-1 centers in Barbour, Cabell, Harrison, Ohio, Kanawha, Marion, Mercer, Monongalia, Raleigh, Taylor, Wirt, and Wood counties.
Among the schools getting the calls where the reports indicated shootings were Huntington High School, South Charleston High, Robert C. Byrd, East Fairmont, Morgantown High School and others including Washington High School in Jefferson County. None was accurate, but police could take no chances.
“We’ve take every single precaution possible. What we set out to do this past summer with the school safety plan and initiative has come to fruition and it’s working,” Cunningham said on MetroNews “Talkline.”
The response was quick from police throughout the area when the South Charleston call came in including South Charleston police, state police troopers, sheriff’s deputies, Charleston police and others.
The call reported to Kanawha County Metro 911 at around 8 a.m. said there was an active shooter with a black AR-15 and some students had been injured. The school building was quickly searched and the report determined to be false.
Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle said every available unit in his county was moving full speed with lights and sirens on to Huntington High School until the all clear sounded.
“Immediately upon discovering it was hoax in Cabell, we pulled resources out of Huntington High and shifted them to other area, just in case it was a diversion and we had it covered,” Zerkle said.
Rob Cunningham, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, provides the latest on several school shooting reports. Are these credible calls? He joins @HoppyKercheval. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nm85Y pic.twitter.com/KxD41xl8jY
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) December 7, 2022
Jim Smith is the director of MECCA 911 in Monongalia County where the call came into their center about Morgantown High School. He said the call came moments after they had learned Marion County 9-1-1 had received a report of an active shooter at East Fairmont High School.
“We have found these calls have been going on throughout the state. Kanawha County, Cabell County, Barbour County and Harrison County have all received calls this morning of active shooters at one of their high schools,” said Smith.
“With the advisement of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Marion County homeland security, very quickly through their efforts and investigation the credible threat moved to a code green,” said Donna Hage, superintendent of Marion County Schools.
An investigation into the reports is underway. Most investigators believe all of the calls and reports are linked together, possibly by the same person or people.
“Law enforcement is investigating it. It seems like they’re similar type threats with a lot of the same verbiage. That would indicate to me it’s probably one or a few people making these calls,” Cunningham said.
Thank you to all WV Law Enforcement who responded to these hoax threats today. Our Law Enforcement is 100% committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all West Virginia students and communities. https://t.co/ZSwnOmzffR
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) December 7, 2022
Cunningham said West Virginia is not unique to what has happened. According to him there have been similar mass calls of active shooters in other states even earlier this week. An investigation into the case is underway and Prevention Resources Officers are on high alert at all schools in the state today.
Cunningham suggested anyone tied to the school system should download the “See Send” App onto their mobile phone. West Virginia bought into the system which enables people to communicate directly with law enforcement about any criminal activity tied to their local school system.
MetroNews reporter Jeff Jenkins contributed to this story.