MISSION — Police say a false report of a student with a gun prompted a lockdown and a minor panic at Sharyland ISD Friday morning.
Mission PD Spokesman Art Flores said the rumors were completely unfounded, but prompted a lockdown that lasted about 45 minutes and an ongoing investigation.
“All of it was false,” he said.
Rumors of a lockdown and a weapon on campus spread like wildfire among students and parents, Flores said.
“It did spark a panic,” he added.
According to Flores, the department isn’t sure yet what sparked those rumors and no charges have been filed.
The district published a letter from Superintendent Maria Vidaurri Friday morning addressing the incident.
The letter said those rumors affected students and staff at Sharyland High, Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy and the district’s central office.
“The safety of students and staff is our first concern,” Vidaurri wrote. “We take all threats of this nature seriously. When the district was made aware of the rumor, we contacted local emergency response officials and the Mission Police Department. Authorities continue to be on site.”
The letter encouraged anyone with information about the investigation to contact the district and directed questions about the incident to the district’s central offices at (956) 580-5200.
“All threats to our school or students are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly,” Vidaurri wrote. “We are working with officials to conduct a full investigation. Please discuss the day’s events with your child and emphasize the seriousness of this issue.”
The letter notes that the district had also been affected by an unrelated wide-spread power outage.
