Fake active shooter threat at Pierre Moran causes concern

 

ELKHART, Ind. -- A phony active shooter call at an Elkhart Middle School on Wednesday is still leaving families confused.

Authorities say the active shooter threat was not credible, but one mother tells ABC57 the poor communication between the school and families is causing more concern.

She shares a screenshot of the text message that would make any mother’s heart drop, “Mom, active shooter.”

“He goes, ‘and they told us to get down, told us to hide,’” the mother shares.

The string of frightened texts came from her son inside Pierre Moran Middle School on Wednesday afternoon, where the threat of an active shooter caused panic in the classroom.

“He goes ‘I heard the dogs barking, I heard the cops, and you hear kids crying and you don’t know what’s going on,’” the mother recounts, telling her son’s experience in a school lockdown.

The threat turned out to be a hoax. The school district says the threat was vague and circulating on social media with no clear target, but with the letters ‘P-M-S' referenced, some thought it was aimed at Pierre Moran Middle School.

The lack of communication has this mother questioning the school's safety protocols.

“I think that they’re very careless of keeping parents informed or taking the proper steps to inform a parent,” the mother says.

She claims she got a phone call from the school only after her son was already placed in a lockdown.

Elkhart police say the district sent phone notifications to students at the school regarding the phony threat.

She wonders why parents weren’t made aware earlier.

“When something serious happens, whether it’s a medical issue with a child or active shooting or false alarm, you have a right to know as a parent,” the mother explains.

The scare was enough to make her middle schooler afraid to go back to school.

“He doesn’t want to go to school, which is understandable,” the mother says. “I didn’t force him to go today.”

ABC57 reached out to a representative from Elkhart schools to get more details about when the message about the threat was sent to students as well as parents. They haven’t responded yet.