Police Have Cleared Riverview High School After Responding to an Active Shooter Complaint

The event came after a recent spike in false claims of active shooters at schools around the nation. On Tuesday, there were fake active shooter calls made to many schools in South Florida. According to district spokeswoman Mike Barber, there have been no reports of active shooter incidents at any Manatee County schools.

Johnson remarked, “It appears that this may be connected to the hoax calls.” The Sheriff’s Office claimed in a tweet that it thought the call was a case of “swatting,” which is when someone makes up a crisis in order to summon a SWAT squad. Despite the threat of placing the school on lockdown, all kids, teachers, and staff members were secure, according to district spokesperson Kelsey Whealy.

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She claimed that the school district gradually let pupils out after lifting the lockdown. Student drivers were let go first, then bus riders, and finally the rest of the class. When police attacked the school and ordered children to flee, Veronica Castaneda’s son Luis was compelled to enter a classroom.

Here’s a video taken by a Riverview HS sent to me by a parent. It shows students huddled on a classroom floor, in the dark, as an armed SWAT officer steps over them. @heraldtribune pic.twitter.com/gHZKqF37GB

— stefania lugli (@steflugli) October 11, 2022

As his mother was at work, he texted her to let her know what was happening. She quit her job right away, her main thought being to embrace her son in her arms. Castaneda spoke in a trembling voice, “He told me that other kids were laughing and not taking it seriously.” “Listen, I don’t care if your best friend isn’t taking it seriously, I told him. “Hide if you’re in danger.”

The Riverview mother additionally expressed her outrage about the school’s alleged delay in informing parents. She got a voicemail from Sarasota Schools at 1:47 p.m. telling her of the shooting threat and the lockdown. Before he was able to access his phone to contact his mother, Luis texted his mother around 2 p.m. to let her know that the school had been on lockdown for at least an hour.

Today was overwhelming for parents, students and community members alike. Just after 12:45, we received what detectives feel confident was a “swatting” call to our 911 center. The caller indicated an active shooter at Riverview High School. (thread⬇️) pic.twitter.com/4gpJOoDLB1

— SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) October 11, 2022

Castaneda remarked, “It doesn’t make any sense. “Why did we wait so long to learn about the struggles our kids were facing? Max Mauher, a 14-year-old student at Riverview High, is Scott Mauher’s son. During the confusion, Scott claimed he received a text from his kid. “The police are here; there is a lockdown. Police are present, and they are armed. A shooter could be present. I love you, don’t come to get me,” Max texted.

Scott added, “Parenting is so challenging and different now. “My son is attempting to protect me from harm. It’s absurd. On Proctor Road, Mauher and Gallagher waited for their kids among other parents as they observed the steady stream of students leaving Riverview High.

Gallagher claimed that she intended her children to attend a military academy, but her daughter preferred to play volleyball at Riverview. Shootings “happen at Publix, at concerts, they happen everywhere,” she recalled her daughter telling her. What’s preventing a shooter from entering the UTC mall? said, Gallagher. “The difference is that they are at least ready for it here (at the school). I’m unsure if UTC is. I’m attempting to maintain perspective.

We must continue living our lives, Mauher agreed. Even though there wasn’t a shooter, Gallagher stated that everything that happened left its emotional mark. “It won’t simply be about volleyball when my kid looks back on her high school experience,” she said. “It will cover all the times she was under lockdown.”

Joe, a Riverview ninth-grader, detailed the mayhem that ensued when the lockdown signal blared over the intercom. “I was ready to leave the gym when I heard ‘attention all staff and students,’ just as I was about to leave. I thought, ‘Oh, this is just another pointless drill.’ This is a lockdown,’ he said.

The first-year student claimed that his coach “started flipping out” and attempted to herd the thirty or so pupils into the locker room by unlocking lockers and hiding youngsters inside of them. According to Joe, the majority of the students were unruly and did not take the issue seriously. Others started finding mops to “wack the gunman with if he came in,” while some started tossing dodge balls.

Joe stated, “I entered the shower stall.” Until the police arrived, I stood on the ledge where you’re supposed to apply shampoo, on my toes. Deputies then barged in, claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office, and yelled for everyone to raise their hands. Joe remarked, “They weren’t making any jokes.”

Gwen, a junior, hid in a third-floor classroom with her phone in hand, checking social media for updates and texting her pals. She initially believed the lockdown order to be a sudden safety drill, which happens frequently at schools all around the country. But it was taking too long for this “drill.” Gwen then learned that the police had been contacted.

Then, fear starts to occur. Although many children weren’t taking it seriously, which I get, we were all in the corner, Gwen said. “We’ve become insensate.” Steven Walker and Derek Gillam, both Herald-Tribune reporters, contributed to this story.