St. Albans Police and other Vermont law enforcement agencies receive false reports of active shooters at schools

ST. ALBANS — The St. Albans Police Department received a call around 10 a.m. today, Feb. 8, falsely reporting an active shooter at St. Albans City School.

"Our MRUSD Safety Team worked with St. Albans City Police and our admin staff at multiple schools to quickly determine that our buildings were safe and that we followed our safety protocols," Maple Run Unified School District said in a statement. 

Law enforcement agencies across Vermont, including in Essex, Milton and South Burlington, received similar calls reporting false shooting events at schools.

The calls appear to be associated with ongoing nationwide hoax threats of school shootings and bomb threats. The Vermont Intelligence Center is not aware of any credible threats related to these phone calls.

“These calls were a hoax—an act of terrorism designed to create chaos and stoke fear that can be exploited,” Gov. Phil Scott stated in a Feb. 8 press release.

“These events are unnerving for everyone – students, teachers, parents and Vermonters,” he continued. “We can use this energy to come together because unity is the most powerful way to ensure terrorists do not achieve their goals.”

The governor's office, Agency of Education, Vermont State Police, Vermont Intelligence Center and local partners are continuing to monitor the situation. Once all the facts are gathered they will debrief on the incident to strengthen their response.

Maple Run also said it would be sure to share updates or new information with the community. 

"As always, the district will continue to take precautions around the safety of our students and staff," its statement reads. "We are grateful to our MRUSD Safety Team and our partnership with the St. Albans Police Department."

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.