Mower County Sheriff’s Office confirm no threat at Austin High School

AUSTIN, Minn. (KTTC) – The Austin Police Department (APD) has confirmed there is no active shooter threat at Austin High School after receiving a phone call reporting an active shooter at the school.

The call came in around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday. APD said they were aware of same/similar incidents occurring at other schools, but it did not alter their response to this type of call.

The APD and Mower County Sheriff Office staff quickly deployed to the high school to assist the site School Resource Officer.

Law enforcement was first able to check the specific location they were given to ascertain that no incident was ongoing at the spot, before fanning out and covering the entire school to ensure there were no issues elsewhere. A final detailed sweep was then conducted.

“We appreciate the school staff’s, student’s and public’s patience while that was ongoing. Staff and students at the schools did a fantastic job in following their procedures and letting us clear the building. We appreciate the help we received from other agencies as well,” APD Chief David McKichan said.