'Active shooter' hoax comes to St. Mary; Morgan City schools locked down

The active shooter hoaxes that have afflicted many states this week came to St. Mary Parish on Thursday, the Sheriff's Office said.

One of a series of similar threats that have appeared from Oregon to Virginia came in to the Morgan City Police Department, saying an active shooter was at Berwick Junior High and on Berwick High School's nonexistent second floor.

Law enforcement officers from the Berwick Police Department and the Sheriff's Office were already at the school, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Morgan City Police Department said in a Facebook post that at about 1 p.m., officers received a call from a subject stating that there was an active shooter on the second floor of Berwick High. school. The subject had mentioned Berwick Junior High School and then made reference to Berwick High School.

Authorities with the Berwick Police Department were alerted to the situation. The schools were placed on lock down and cleared safe, the MCPD said.

All schools, both public and private, were also put on lock down in Morgan City when officers went to each school and cleared them safe. All schools have been released from lock down status and are back to normal activity.

Interim Chief Mark E. Griffin Jr. and the Morgan City Police Department commended the staffs at all of these schools. "We want everyone to know that we take these threats seriously, as the safety of all of our children is of the most importance," the department said.

The investigation of the origin of the call is ongoing, and the public will be notified as information is developed. The Louisiana State Police reported that similar active shooter hoax calls have appeared in other states, including Arkansas, California, Florida, Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
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Nevertheless, the SMPSO and other law enforcement agencies have personnel checking on schools, assessing and securing the campuses to ensure the safety of our educators and students, the Sheriff's Office said.
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