Two days after a shooter killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville, local and state police departments responded to active shooter calls not only in Altoona, but in Bellefonte, Pittsburgh and Allentown and at school districts in Utah and New Jersey.

While the reports of an active shooter were later determined to be a hoax, when the news first broke about a possible shooting at the Altoona Area High School, word spread quickly and anxious parents began gathering on the steps of the nearby Altoona Area Public Library.

There, Altoona Police Sgt. Matthew Plummer allayed fears of an incident and fatalities.

He said multiple police officers were involved in a training exercise near the city’s senior and junior high schools so within moments of the call, police flooded both buildings.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Emergency officials reported to the school within moments of the call on Wednesday morning, according to Altoona Police Sgt. Matthew Plummer.

After clearing the buildings, which remained under lockdown, Plummer assured parents that “everything is fine. Nobody was hurt.”

Plummer said AASD administration and faculty did an “awesome” job of clearing the hallways and when police entered, nobody was in sight.

It was so quiet, Plummer said, “You wouldn’t even know the students were there.”

Police methodically searched both buildings and learned that similar calls were received by multiple school districts in the state.

The FBI, the Office of Attorney General and state police are investigating the calls, Plummer said, adding he listened to the original call and believed it was an actual person talking, not a recording or computer-generated voice.

Mirror photo by Cati Keith Parents and guardians wait to pick up their children outside the Altoona Area High School on Wednesday morning.

‘No one was hurt’

“It is some type of prank — the good news is no one was hurt and there was no active shooter and students are safe right now,” Plummer told the waiting crowd.

As the morning wore on, the number of parents gathered at the library swelled to more than a hundred and upon hearing the incident was a hoax, they began to breathe more easily.

One mother, Jackie Sipes, said her daughter, a junior at the high school, had taken cover in a closet.

Sipes called the situation “terrifying.”

A man who did not give his name was visibly relieved. He said, “You can’t be too careful these days.”

Plummer, who has six children in the school district, said he understood the parents’ fear.

Superintendent Charles Prijatelj and community relations director Paula Foreman spoke to parents outside of the library about 10:30 a.m., providing parents with an update of the situation.

Prijatelj said the hoax call from outside the building and outside of the area into Blair County’s 911 Center.

Police cleared the school and checked surveillance cameras to ensure there was no threat, he said.

“APD was here within 60 seconds of the 911 call, Logan Township was here within 60 seconds, and our police, who were on site in the building, were working on this immediately,” Prijatelj said.

After police gave the all clear, the school returned to normal operations and parents were allowed to take their children home for the day.

Review of protocols

District officials said it was understandable parents were anxious.

“While we understand parents are concerned, our first response is to take care of the issue at hand,” Foreman said.

“Our number one priority is the safety of the children in the building,” Prijatelj said.

Prijatelj said the district will use the incident to make improvements and adjustments to safety and security protocols.

Plummer said the police department’s tactical team, conducting training and geared up when the call came in, jumped into a Ford F-150 and rushed to the high school.

“We sprinted through that school as quickly as possible,” he said.

Hillary Brantner said she was happy with the response, noting it was “very quick.”

“I just want the kids to be safe,” she said, adding that she is concerned students aren’t allowed to have their cellphones in class.

She said in a threat situation, “if students have it, they can call.”

Other precautions

While there was no threat made to other school districts in the county, some such as Hollidaysburg and Spring Cove went into lockdown as a precaution.

Hollidaysburg Superintendent Robert Gildea said the school went into a lockdown where students were able to move freely between classes but officials limited those coming in and out of the doors.

“I hope they are able to find the person or group responsible (for the hoax) so other people do not have to experience the same thing,” Gildea said.

Blair Regional YMCA followed the Hollidaysburg Area School District protocols, and did not permit anyone to enter or exit the Early Learning Center.

Betsy Baker, superintendent for Spring Cove, said the district was made aware of the situation from its school police officer and went into a soft lockdown until the situation was resolved.

The district did not receive any of the hoax calls and there was never any threat to their schools, she said.

Central High students did not travel to the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center for classes Wednesday due to the lockdown.

“There was never any known threat, but it is disheartening that our school and others in the nation have to go through something like this, especially after the recent shooting,” Baker said.

Tyrone Area School District instituted its “Keep Out Alert,” which meant no visitors were permitted in the school for the day.

Claysburg did not go into lockdown, Superintendent Mark Loucks said, but the district kept an eye on everyone coming through the doors.

“I have unfortunately been through this before,” he said. “This type of call tries to capitalize on fear, especially with the parents and it affects the kids’ mental health.”

Loucks said all the area superintendents worked together on the situation.

“It says a lot about how we are in it for the kids,” he said.