Claims of shooting at Clayton County middle school untrue; 911 hang-up under investigation

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News spoke to families who were frightened after their school went on lockdown over concerns of an active shooter on campus.

Turns out, it was a fake 911 call.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones was in Clayton County as parents rushed to the school to get their kids after hearing about the threat.

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Kendrick Middle School was packed with parents there to pick up their children after their kids called them saying they were hiding in closets and on lockdown because of an active shooter threat.

There was no threat, but it still left parents and students shaken.

“I was crying,” sixth-grader Gabrielle Williams said, adding that she was afraid when her teacher told her class to take precautions due to a threat inside the school.

“We had gone inside, like, a corner so the intruder won’t see us,” Williams said.

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Keon Pyron knew something serious was going on. “Well, I didn’t think it was a drill, because she said Level 3 lockdown immediately,” Pyron said.

His mother says her son was frightened.

“My son was calling, saying he loves me, and he was scared,” Keon’s mother, Gabrielle, said.

Turns out there was no threat, nor were there any guns found on the campus.

The Clayton County School System said an alleged 911 call was placed from the community and that the caller hung up.

School leaders said out of an abundance of caution, they enhanced security to keep students and staff safe.

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In response, officers raced to the scene, including a Riverdale officer who crashed trying to get there.

Parents say school shootings have everyone on edge. Some said it takes a heavy toll on kids, even when it’s a false alarm.

Williams told Jones it made her mad someone may have caused so much confusion and that someone was hurt over it.

“An officer crashed to save us when it was, like, a fake,” Williams said.

Riverdale’s police chief said his officer was transported to Grady Hospital, where she underwent tests to determine the extent of her injuries. The other driver involved was also transported to the hospital.

An investigation is underway into the 911 call and the officer-involved crash.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Keeping your child safe while at school: What you need to know (NCD)

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