Report of school shooting was a hoax, Oak Harbor police say

A lockdown at Oak Harbor High School and Hillcrest Elementary School was lifted at about 11:30 a.m. today.

Oak Harbor Police Chief Kevin Dresker reported that the lockdown was in response to a report of a shooting that turned out to be a hoax. A compete and thorough sweep of the high school was completed and no problems were found, he said.

Dresker said the report of the alleged school shooting at the high school came in at 10:06 a.m. The high school and the nearby elementary school were immediately placed on lockdown and multiple law enforcement responded, as did many other first responders. A Life Flight helicopter from the hospital also responded as a precaution.

By 10:55 a.m., Dresker reported law enforcement was just finishing up a search of the school and did not find any evidence of violence. The lockdown was lifted about a half an hour later.

“It appears to be a complete hoax,” he said.

The school district reiterated that there are no safety concerns at the schools.

“All of our schools have established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that contribute to maintaining a safe learning environment for our students and staff,” the district reported. “School personnel will be reviewing those plans and continuing our ongoing relationship with law enforcement to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.”