A school district in Minnesota is on lock down Wednesday after a 911 call surfaced. Authorities later said it was a prank call and now a 12-year-old boy is under arrest for being suspected of making the call, reported the AP.
The AP reported that the call occurred at 8 a.m. and prompted a lock down at the middle school, high school and also at the Central Education Campus building located in New Prague, which is 45 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
"The calls prompted a "Code Red" lockdown for all schools within the New Prague Area School District," reported KTSP.com. "'Code Red' is the highest level security alert for the district. By 9 a.m. investigators on the scene were confident the call was a hoax."
Scott County Sheriff Kevin Studnicka said to the AP that the call made from the building claimed there was a shooter in the building.
"He claimed he needed help because there was a shooter in the building with an AK-47 and that there were a couple of victims," Studnicka said to the AP.
When a dispatcher asked for the cellphone number of the caller, the caller said it was a new phone and did not know what the number was, reported Studnicka.
Officials did not specify why they suspected the 12 year old boy, but Police Chief Mark Vosejpka said that police quickly determined that no one was hurt in the building.
Classes were canceled for the rest of the day and parents were rushing to the scene. All students were released from the school by the late morning. Classes are expected to resume on Thursday for the school that totals 2,067 students. KSTP.com reported that the decision to dismiss the school was to relieve anxiety for parents and students, Superintendant Larry Kauzlarich said.
There will be counselors and social workers available to students on Thursday.
The AP reported that two months ago, a bomb threat occurred. KTSP.com reported that it was on Valentine's Day that a note was found in the bathroom saying there was a bomb in the building. Kauzlarich said that student was expelled.
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