Rochester Police confirm there is no active threat at Lourdes High School

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Rochester Police Department (RPD) confirmed in a news conference that there is no active threat or shooter at Lourdes High School and there are no injuries.

“There was not a threat, no active shooter or active threat engaging in students or faculty at that time,” RPD Chief Franklin said.

According to RPD, the call came at 10:06 a.m. of a report of an active shooter and it has been determined that the call came from an internet based phone number and it was a real person’s voice.

RPD said the area code of the phone call was not from the area. Officials will continue to investigate the source of the call.

Police are describing this as a swatting call.

“This is a ridiculous phone call that we received, but it is reflective of capability to respond to these things in a rapid quick manner melding together,” Chief Franklin said.

“There’s going to be an investigation to figure out what this was. As the Chief said, this is just a despicable act,” Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said.

RPD and Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

RPD said it has sent out uniformed officers to other schools in the area to keep a calm presence.

Rochester Catholic Schools officials there wasn’t a ton of disruptions in the building as all of the students were in the auditorium when police arrived.

“Really just grateful that everyone is safe, there is no active threat and the agencies have responded the way that they have,” Rochester Catholic Schools president Annemarie Vega said.

The school didn’t alert the students of the threat until law enforcement swept the entire building and determined the threat was fake.

“I think it was probably a bit more traumatic for those of us outside who saw what was unfolding with uncertainty than for our students luckily, because they were just really in a safe place and surrounded and together,” Vega said.

Local law enforcement agencies are looking to prosecute this person with filing a false police report.

“We’ll certainly be talking with our state partners as well and if it’s in particular the state persons responsibility for this multiple calls across the state, we’re looking at higher level charges as well,” Chief Franklin said.

Watch the full news conference below:

There was also a police presence at Mayo High School in Rochester. Rochester Public Schools released the following statement:

Schools in Austin, Mankato and Duluth were locked down Wednesday as well after unconfirmed calls in to law enforcement about an active shooting situation.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension tweeted that it is aware of multiple swatting incidents involving active shooter events or mass casualties at schools across Minnesota.

KTTC crews were on the scene as officers responded to the threat. Watch below:

RELATED: Swatting calls, threats roll in at schools across Minnesota

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