MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — Multiple schools in Arizona and Nevada were placed on lockdown Thursday after getting fake threats of a shooting.
Kingman High School went into lockdown at about 12:30 p.m. after a caller claimed a shooting was occurring on the campus.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office determined the caller's claims to be unfounded and said they've received information that "similar false reports of a school shooting have been happening all over the state and into other states as well."
The Bullhead City Police Department responded to a similar threat of an active shooter reported at Mohave High School on Thursday at about the same time as Kingman's.
"Multiple units responded to the school and there is NO THREAT at this time," Bullhead City police wrote in a statement.
The Sahuarita Police Department dispatched officers to Walden Grove High School on Thursday to investigate a threatening text message.
Bernalillo High School in New Mexico reported getting a hoax call of a shooting Thursday at 12:40 p.m. The school said the threat was similar to the ones reported in nearby states.
Other schools in Nevada reported getting uncredible threats of violence on Thursday.
The Mineral County Sheriff's Office said, "a number of Nevada schools are currently experiencing hoax 'swatting' reports causing the schools to go on lockdown."
The White Pine County Sheriff's Office in Nevada said Thursday it got a call from someone claiming to be at the local high school armed with a firearm and bombs. The campus was searched but no threats were located by WPCSO.
Elko High School, located in northern Nevada, went on lockdown Thursday after getting a report that someone with a firearm was on campus. Officers later determined there was no actual threat.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo tweeted Thursday afternoon that his office is aware of the alleged “swatting” reports.
Up to Speed
What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.