Lockdown lifted at Fall River high school after bomb, gun threat deemed a hoax

A Fall River high school was placed into lockdown Wednesday after a reported threat which now appears to be a hoax, according to police.

Officers responded that morning to Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School after a caller reported that they were in one of the school bathrooms and had a bomb and an AK-47 assault rifle, Fall River police said on Facebook. The caller also claimed that they were “in crisis,” the department said.

The school went into lockdown as police rushed to the school to “locate any threats,” police said. After searching the building, however, they found no weapons or armed individuals, leading them to believe that the call was a hoax.

Diman Superintendent Brian Bentley wrote in a statement to parents that the person who called in the threat is an “outsider” and is not affiliated with the school.

Students were dismissed early due to the threat, and after school activities were also cancelled, school officials said on Facebook. Classes are expected to resume Thursday on a regular schedule.

“For you, the parents and guardians, I thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation during the lockdown and dismissal process as well,” Bentley wrote in the statement. “You are just as awesome as your sons and daughters. Let’s hope that this was an isolated incident and it does not happen again!”

Police stayed at the school after the lockdown was lifted to aid with traffic and ensure that students were dismissed safely, the department said. Though the threat appears to have been a hoax, police said that the matter is not yet closed and that the call will be fully investigated.

“We are actively continuing the investigation and will use every forensic resource available to identify the individual(s) responsible,” police said. “The safety of our students, staff, and community remains our top priority, and we will provide updates as the investigation continues.”

This article was updated Sept. 18 to include a statement from a Diman school official.

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