ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY/WNCT) — Elizabeth City is among several school districts across North Carolina that appear to have received the same anonymous threat Thursday.
The school system says police were alerted around 11:30 a.m.
Emergency Management received a phone call suggesting an active shooter was on the campus of Northeastern High School, ECPPS confirmed in a message to families.
Police responded and Northeastern High School as well as nearby Central Elementary School were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
Officers completed a comprehensive search of the campus and no threats were found.
Although the lockdown was lifted in less than an hour, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools (ECPPS) said law enforcement would remain at both schools for the rest of the school day.
The Craven County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it also received an anonymous call Thursday morning regarding an “incident” at New Bern High School they determined to be a hoax.
The sheriff’s office said similar calls have “apparently been received at other Eastern North Carolina schools.” More reports of hoax calls have been popping up among school districts around the state.
“Anyone with information on the person or persons responsible for these hoaxes is asked to contact your local law enforcement agency,” a press release reads.
Beaufort County Schools received a similar call about an alleged incident at Washington High School, according to public information officer Kristin Riddle. The school went into lockdown as a precautionary measure. The call was determined to be a hoax; there was no active shooter situation, and no one was hurt.
Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright posted a similar announcement on Facebook Thursday.
Williams High School in Burlington was placed on lockdown Thursday following a similar 911 call. The school system tweeted that the threat was part of the same hoax. The lockdown was eventually lifted.
Brevard High School, part of Transylvania County Schools, confirmed it also received a call about a possible threat on campus. Police and staff responded and cleared the campus as a precaution.
No threat was found at Wilkes Central High School in Wilkesboro Thursday. The school district sent this message to families:
This morning, December 1, Wilkes County Emergency Dispatch received a call stating that there was an active shooter situation on Wilkes Central High School’s campus. Our school immediately went into lockdown and followed safety procedures. Local law enforcement agencies responded immediately, and after lockdown, they have confirmed that the school was clear and that there was NO threat of an active shooter situation as was reported to emergency dispatch. We have been advised to continue on with our normal school day as planned, as there has been no confirmed threat to our students, faculty, or visitors to our campus. We have an increased presence of law enforcement officers out of precaution for the remainder of the school day. Thank you for your support and understanding as we made sure that all of our Eagle family was safe and cared for.
The threats were not limited to North Carolina. Media outlets across the nation, including Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, also alerted the public about school threats Thursday.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
