As reported by WHNT News, yesterday afternoon Huntsville police received a call indicating there was an active shooter emergency at the Williams School in Huntsville.
Police responded to the scene, cleared the building, but found no shooter. As to be expected, parents and loved ones gathered in fear that their children would be the victims of another school tragedy. Once the situation had stabilized, police began an investigation to determine who made the call.
Now law enforcement officials believe that the call likely came from a student at the school. Lt. Stacy Bates of the Huntsville Police Department said, “It came from a landline within the school. It was a juvenile voice we heard on the line, so we know it was a juvenile. . . We will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We will use the cameras in the school system, use whatever means they have necessary to determine who did this.”
If it was a juvenile who made the call, then their names will not be released do to state law. However, Bates said they will charge the caller with all crimes possible. “At a minimum, you’ve got rendering a false alarm, depending on what it entails it can be a misdemeanor, it can be a felony. We’re going to go with the strictest charges we can find and as many as we can find in a situation like this,” said Bates.
Aside from criminal punishments, the age of the child also plays a large role in how the school system will proceed. If the child is in elementary school then they are likely to only receive a suspension, said Huntsville City School’s Spokesman Keith Ward. However, if they are in a higher grade, the punishment could involve expulsion.
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