LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools was the target of a series of "swatting" calls Wednesday morning.
Authorities received reports of an active aggressor at two Louisville schools, however Louisville Metro Police have confirmed there is no threat at either school.
A large police presence could be seen around DuPont Manual High School, which is next to the University of Louisville. Police said there was also a report of an active aggressor at Olmsted Academy North, near the Beechmont neighborhood.
Authorities have not released many details regarding either incident, however DuPont Manual was being evacuated as LMPD cleared the building. JCPS officials said there was heightened security at both schools out of an abundance of caution.
Noe Middle School also had increased security due to the school sharing a campus with DuPont Manual, but JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said the school day has returned to normal.
"Swatting calls are deliberate and malicious acts of reporting a false crime or emergency to evoke an aggressive response," Callahan said, adding all students and staff are safe.
Callahan said mental health resources are available for students and staff at those schools.
Officials said similar swatting calls were reported at other schools across the Ohio Valley Region including in Lexington, Kentucky; Evansville, Indiana; and Cincinnati, Ohio.
LMPD Deputy Chief Steve Healey said multiple agencies are investigating where the calls originated from.
"It's very traumatic for the children, the teachers in the school and also the parents," Healey said.
Healey said he was proud of LMPD's quick response in this incident, saying the department takes hoax calls very seriously. He said roughly 40 officers responded to DuPont Manual, but emphasized the impact these fake calls have across the Metro.
"When you have a response like that, you're taking resources away from other people who could be legitimate victims or in need medical assistance, there's a multitude of things you're affecting when you do that," Healey said, later adding that LMPD "will not compromise our response."
The Jefferson County Teachers Association released the following statement on the incident:
“The Jefferson County Teachers Association is shocked and saddened by the trend of swatting schools. We applaud the fast responses by JCPS and LMPD to ensure student and staff were physically safe. The terror created by these kinds of hoaxes causes real trauma for our students and educators who live with the constant fear of school shootings. This is domestic terrorism. Our students deserve better.”
This story may be updated as more information is released.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.