Police: School rumors at Pearl fueled by national threat

Details are unclear at this time, but a nationwide threat to schools across the country led to the Pearl Police Department receiving a call of a shooter at Pearl High School this morning.

Pearl officials confirmed that the FBI is investigating this side of the rumor and that the school is currently under a soft lockdown, but there does not appear to be an immediate threat.

Another rumor that complicated the flow of accurate information was that there was an escaped inmate on campus. Officials said it was an inmate on the work detail who stepped into a wasp nest and was seen running away from the wasps, but he did not attempt to escape.

Pearl High School sent the following email to parents:

This morning the City of Pearl received a threat against Pearl High School. Upon receiving this news, we immediately put our lockdown protocols into effect at Pearl High School and implemented soft lockdowns at our other schools as a precautionary measure.

Fortunately, after a thorough investigation by our local law enforcement and a quick response by our school staff, it was determined that there was no active threat. We also learned that similar threats were made today against other school districts across the country. These incidents are currently being investigated by Homeland Security and the FBI.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our first responders and school staff for their exemplary handling of this situation. Their quick actions and professionalism under pressure ensured the safety and well-being of all of our students and staff.

Safety is and remains our top priority. Incidents such as this highlight the importance of the rigorous safety training we provide to our staff and students. Because of our preparedness and the strong relationships we have with local law enforcement, we are able to respond effectively to any threat, real or perceived.

Thank you for your continued support.

If anything changes, we will update this story.