False active shooter reports likely part of a systemic hoax, say police

BOULDER, Colo. (KKCO) - Police in Boulder are investigating an unsubstantiated threat of an active shooter at Boulder High School caused by a convincing call.

During a press conference, Boulder Police said that the initial call appears to be part of a systemic hoax that went out to multiple schools across the state. A police spokeperson said that the call was realistic, and police were not going to take any chances.

Several other schools across Colorado went into lockdown responding to similar incidents. Brighton, Englewood, Aspen, Alamosa, Durango, and Glenwood Springs schools all went into lockdown.

Boulder High School was evacuated and police swept the school for injured students and explosives with bomb dogs. “The first thing that they tried to do is determine if there was actually anybody injured, or if any shots were still being fired. It was very quickly determined that it was quiet, there weren’t any shots,” said police. “We were able to slow down just a little bit at that point and mat it more of a slower, methodical scene. But because of the nature of the call, we still had to go through all of the normal steps and protocols that we would go through on any active shooter.

District 51 and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office both commented on the threats, saying that both organizations are aware of the situation and that the threats have been determined to be “swatting” calls.

No schools in Mesa County received any threats.

Copyright 2023 KKCO. All rights reserved.