Montpelier High School on lockdown after reports of shots fired

At approximately 9:30 a.m., local authorities rushed to Montpelier High School in response to a report of shots being fired.

The school and some neighboring businesses, including VSECU on Bailey Avenue, went into lockdown mode.

It appears that the situation was a false alarm, likely part of a larger hoax affecting multiple high schools in Vermont.

The MHS community was informed that although the building was being searched for potential dangers, it seems to be a coordinated hoax.

Authorities in South Burlington were dealing with a similar threat, and Otter Valley High School in Brandon had also received a similar call.

According to the Department of Public Safety and Vermont State Police: “Multiple law enforcement agencies across Vermont are receiving calls reporting shootings at local schools. At this time, none of these threats is believed to be credible, and the incidents appear to be hoaxes. The calls have been reported to originate from VOIP phone numbers or potentially spoofed 802 numbers and appear to be associated with ongoing nationwide hoax phone threats of school shootings, bomb threats, and other violent events that have proved to be unfounded,” the statement says.

The Governor’s Office, Agency of Education, Department of Public Safety, Vermont State Police, Vermont Intelligence Center, and local law enforcement agencies are actively involved in handling the response to these hoax calls.

This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.