NEW HANOVER COUNTY — A young boy was charged for a false report of an active shooter at Holly Shelter Middle School, which sent the school on lockdown Tuesday.
The 12-year-old male called 911 at 3:52 p.m. reporting an active shooter at the campus.
READ MORE: 911: Shooting hoax caller claimed to be NHHS teacher, sheriff’s office turns over case to FBI
Deputies from the New Hanover County Sherriff’s Office responded to the school, cleared the school of any threats, and found no evidence of an active shooter.
NHCSO Lt. Jerry Brewer told Port City Daily the suspect was caught in a short amount of time due to “just detectives doing their jobs.” He could not reveal details about how the adolescent was caught.
“We take all reports of active shooters seriously, and this false report caused unnecessary disruption and fear in the community,” Sheriff Ed McMahon said in a press release. “We are thankful that there was no actual threat and that no one was harmed, but we are sending a strong message that false reports will not be tolerated.”
The fake call comes after hoax threats were called in to school districts across the East Coast last week, triggering a lockdown at New Hanover High School. Those cases have been turned over to the FBI and no suspect has been revealed.
READ MORE: 911: Shooting hoax caller claimed to be NHHS teacher, sheriff’s office turns over case to FBI
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