Hoax phone call claims shooting at Rochester High School

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A hoax phone call claimed an active shooter at Rochester High School, prompting a significant police response and a lockdown of several local schools.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) said dispatchers received a call from a man at about 8:47 a.m. on Tuesday, November 22, claiming that there was an active shooter who had shot seven people at Rochester High School.

The caller, who claimed to be a teacher inside the school, said the supposed shooter was still on the premises armed with a long rifle.

TCSO contacted Rochester High School directly. The school and numerous others in the area were placed under lockdown as a precaution, according to the sheriff’s office.

The first law enforcement officer on the scene arrived at 8:50 a.m., followed by several other agencies from across the region. Authorities conducted a complete sweep of the school but did not locate anything.

The lockdown was lifted at 9:37 a.m.

The TCSO said something similar took place at Tacoma’s Lincoln High School around the same time as the Rochester incident. Authorities noted that there were “significant similarities” in the specific details made about both locations.

The TCSO said it would investigate the incident along with other local and federal agencies to find who made the phone calls.

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