False active shooter alert sets campus on edge 

By Natalie Harris 

At 9:30 a.m. Nov. 8, University of Louisville students received a RAVE Campus Alert stating, “ULPD Officers responding to a report of an active shooter at DUPONT MANUAL HIGH SCHOOL.” Police and ambulances could be heard all around campus. LMPD blocked the roads to Manual to secure the area.

Amelia Driscoll, a student at Manual, noted “I’m in class and someone goes over the announcements and said we were going to go into lockdown. My teacher turned off the lights and students moved to the corners of the room. We were scared and confused. Nobody knew what was happening.”

Thirty minutes later at 10:00 a.m., U of L students received another RAVE Campus Alert stating, “All units are clearing DuPont Manual High School. The scene is clear, no active shooter, and no victims.” Classes are now operating at a heightened security level at DuPont Manual.  

An Update on the Active Shooter Threat  

Two hours after the scene was announced as safe, Jefferson County Public Schools released a statement about the event. “JCPS has been the target of apparent “swatting” calls this morning, impacting DuPont Manual High School, Noe Middle School, and Olmstead North. All JCPS students and staff are safe. These schools heightened security levels out of an abundance of caution.”

It’s specified that Noe Middle School has only heightened security because of its proximity to Manual, but “swatting” calls were made specifically to Manual and Olmstead North.

A “swatting” call is the report of a false crime to evoke an aggressive response. JCPS also said  “Evansville, Lexington, and Cincinnati are also experiencing apparent swatting calls this morning.”

There are no suspects at this time, but the LMPD is actively working on the case.