PORTAGE, Wis. — Portage police plan to have an increased presence at Portage High School for the remainder of the day after someone called the school with an anonymous active shooter threat that was later ruled non-credible.
District officials said they immediately called Portage police who conducted a search of the school and its grounds while students were put on lockdown. Authorities later determined “there was no active threat to student safety” and have since lifted the lockdown.
The school will remain in a “secured perimeter” status for the remainder of the day, which means any students who have not already gone to school or need to leave early will not be allowed back into the building.
Portage District Administrator Joshua Sween said in a statement to district families that police will remain on the grounds throughout the day and at dismissal Tuesday afternoon.
“We understand the anxiety a situation like this can cause for our families, students, staff and community,” the statement reads. “Please know that our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. We take any and all reports of potential threats seriously, and we are making every effort to maintain an environment where students and staff feel safe.”
In 2022, the Portage School District and several others throughout Wisconsin were targeted with a series of false threats in what police said was part of a “larger ‘swatting’ effort,” though it’s unclear if Tuesday’s call was made with a similar intent.
RELATED: Wisconsin’s fake ‘swatting’ threats part of an unexplained national trend
“That’s always a possibility with these,” Sween said, adding that the call itself didn’t include any details that would help authorities determine the full intent behind the threat.
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