Threat Draws Massive Police Presence to Hillcrest High School Tuesday
A huge number of law enforcement officers are at Tuscaloosa County's Hillcrest High School Tuesday morning responding to a possible threat on campus.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies, Tuscaloosa Police officers, State Troopers, Moundville Police and more are on the scene at the school, which is on lockdown as police clear the building.
Representatives for the sheriff's office and the county school system are actively engaged with the incident and have not returned requests for more information at 10:30 Tuesday.
It is possible the call is a false alarm -- schools across the state were plagued with unfounded threats Friday, including schools in Huntsville and Birmingham.
UPDATE, 10:30 a.m.: A Tuscaloosa Police captain on the scene told media there is no active threat at the school, but it is still on lockdown. All students will be bussed to Valley View Baptist Church near Publix on Highway 69 South, where they will be released for the day.
He said the threat was one of at least six hoax calls in the state today.
UPDATE, 10:40 a.m.: Deputy Jessica McDaniel, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, has confirmed no one was injured or arrested Tuesday morning, but officers are still working to ensure the school campus is clear.
UPDATE, 10:50 a.m.: The Tuscaloosa County School System has issued a statement confirming the active shooter threat was a hoax.
"This morning, information was received by the school system and law enforcement regarding a threat to Hillcrest High School," A TCSS representative wrote. "This information was false. There was no active shooter and no shots fired. All students are safe. TCSS will follow up with more information. Again, there was no active shooter on any of our campuses this morning."
This is a breaking, developing story that will be updated as more details become available, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for more as it comes in.