UPDATE (6:20 p.m.): Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler addressed Thursday’s lockdown at Foley High School in a statement to parents.
One of the issues Tyler addressed in the statement was several social media posts circulating of a student with a gun, which has since been debunked.
“There is a lot of false information going around on social media,” Tyler said in the statement. “I know that will not surprise most of you, but there are unfortunately many who forward and share anything they see, which only serves to further misleading information.”
“There was a picture of a child with a gun being circulated,” Tyler continued. “In fact, I understand there was more than one picture of different people. There were rumors about fights in hallways and guns being pulled. None of this happened. The picture with the most attention was not taken today and in fact, was not taken on a school campus. Again, law enforcement has verified the same information.”
Foley Police located the student in question and interviewed him, determining the picture was not taken on Thursday and not on a school campus.
“On that note parents, I want to remind you that if you or your child comes upon information which you believe is a threat to a school, please do not send it to anyone at the school,” Tyler said. “Please call 911 and report the information.
“Sending a school administrator an email with a screenshot of a social media post or a text message your child may have seen is not a good practice. Our administrators do not monitor their messages 24 hours a day and we are not investigators or law enforcement. If you feel the need to report a threat to a school contact 911. Thank you for making the effort to ensure law enforcement has this information and our children are protected.”
UPDATE (5:53 p.m.): Foley High School officials said the teacher who initiated the lockdown did exactly what school officials were trained to do.
“They heard something about a weapon,” FHS principal Jessica Webb said. “It was never the word gun, and it alarmed them enough to push their lockdown button.”
The school campus was surrounded by law enforcement and parents in minutes, but it was hours before the all-clear was given.
Foley Police Chief Thurston Bullock said the police department received a report of a fight and a gun, but they have not been able to confirm either of those reports.
“We have not confirmed anything about a fight nor a gun,” Bullock said.
No arrests were made, and no injuries were reported. However, one student was questioned after an image circulated on social media of a person who appeared to have a gun.
“We did locate that student,” Bullock said. “We took him in for questioning. They did not even have on the same clothes that’s in that picture, and I don’t believe that picture was from anywhere on campus.”
Students were released to their parents by noon, and both students and parents shed tears.
Foley High School is set to resume normal operations on Friday. The school has two full-time school resource officers, but there will be a reinforced law enforcement presence for the next few days.
UPDATE (3:21 p.m.): The way a Foley High School teacher alerted authorities to an incident this morning was something similar to what Georgia teachers used during the Sept. 4 Apalachee High School shooting.
According to officials, the FHS teacher alerted authorities and started a lockdown from her badge. While FHS did not have an active shooter, according to a Baldwin County Public Schools spokesperson, this is similar to the buttons teachers pressed in the Apalachee High School shooting, USA Today reported.
The Foley incident — in which a teacher heard talk of a weapon — reportedly started at 10:20 a.m., and officials said hundreds of officers from all over the county had responded.
Teachers and school administrators said they are proud of the speedy response from law enforcement.
Foley High School Principal Jessica Webb explained how the panic button works.
“You push it three times and that alerts administration and nurses and your (school resource officer) to go if there is a situation going on in the building, like, could be an argument or something going on that could escalate,” Webb said.
“They’ll push that and we’ll respond. When you push it eight times or more, and you keep pushing that thing, it goes into lockdown, and that’s when the calvary comes, and that’s what happened today.”
UPDATE (1:32 p.m.): Local law enforcement and Foley High School officials held a press conference following an incident that put FHS on lockdown earlier today.
A teacher called in the incident via an alarm system on a badge, News 5 has learned. Officials said that teacher triggered a lockdown after hearing something about someone having a weapon during class transitions.
According to FHS Principal Jessica Webb, there was no fight. She also said that the teacher’s decision to put the school on lockdown was not an overreaction. She said class transitions are busy, as there are hundreds of students in the hallways, and “It’s safety first.”
Superintendent Eddie Tyler and Webb highlighted the speedy response of law enforcement in the matter.
Law enforcement said the preliminary investigation into what happened at the school is complete and there is no threat.
No one is in custody following the incident, and there was no gun found on the school’s campus, police said.
Tyler noted that the district would release more information later.
UPDATE (11:50 a.m.): Foley High School will begin dismissing students at noon after the campus went on lockdown this morning, News 5 has learned.
“We will dismiss car drivers first followed by those students whose parents come to check them out,” a Baldwin County Public Schools press release said. “Students are welcome to remain on campus. They will be kept in the cafeteria and provided an opportunity to study.
“At the conclusion of school, those students who are bus riders will board their bus and depart for their home destination.”
Parents who need to pick up their kids should drive down Cedar Street along the back of the school, the release said.
Then, they should “follow security personnel around the south side of the cafeteria where you will pick up your child and depart out the east front of the school towards Highway 59,” the BCPS release said.
UPDATE (10:57 a.m.): A Baldwin County Public Schools spokesperson says all students are safe after Foley High School went on lockdown Thursday morning.
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“This morning, Foley High School was placed on lockdown,” a BCPS news release said. “Foley Police Department, along with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department, responded.
“The campus has been secured and all students are safe. Please do not attempt to approach the campus until we have removed the security perimeter.”
The spokesperson said more information will be available before noon.
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ORIGINAL REPORTING
FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — A Baldwin County school is on lockdown and officers are responding to an incident, News 5 has learned.
The Foley Police Department shared on Facebook that officers responded to an incident at Foley High School. As of 10:43 a.m., the post said the area is secure and all students are safe.
Sources told News 5 that there was a fight at the school, but no shots were fired. Witnesses reportedly heard someone say something about having a gun.
It is still being determined if a gun was actually present.
This is a developing story. News 5 will update this article as more information becomes available.
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