Fake 'Shooter' Threats Lock Down Colorado Schools, Denver FBI Facility

A rash of several threatening phone calls to several Colorado schools and an FBI facility near Denver, Colorado, causing lockdowns Wednesday were determined to be false, Axios reported.

In one of the cases, Boulder High School issued a "shelter in place order" after city police dispatch received a call from someone saying they had a semi-automatic weapon and intended to enter the school.

"The way this [911] call came in really was authentic to make you believe that we had a real active shooter in the front of the school," Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold told reporters during a press conference posted Wednesday on Twitter. "I have listened to this 911 call. It was really scary; in the background you can actually hear shots being fired."

Chief Herold said the call generated an emergency response and the school was quickly cleared, but the call was apparently similar to several others received throughout the state that were determined to be false and are being investigated.

"I know how scary this is for the Boulder community, and especially for the students and parents of the kids impacted by this type of call," she said. "I want to report there are no injuries, everyone is safe and out of the school at this time."

Reuters reported a similar incident at the Alamosa School District about 230 miles from Boulder where police got a call that an armed individual entered a middle school there, causing that school to lockdown for a period of time.

The news outlet also reported similar calls locking down Brighton High School, 25 miles from Boulder, after a call threatening Ortega Middle School, as well as calls to schools in Aspen and Canon resulting in lockdowns.

"There is a large police presence at Brighton High School after dispatch received a threatening call from an unknown person," Brighton Police wrote Wednesday on Twitter. "Other schools in the area are secure while police work to determine if the threat is credible. Please avoid the area at this time. Updates to follow."

The department later posted they found no credible threat to students there.

FBI officials in Denver told Reuters they were aware of the rash of calls but found "no information to indicate a specific or credible threat."

Axios reported false calls have been reported at several school districts in Texas and Michigan in recent months.

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