LINDALE, Texas (KETK) – All Lindale ISD campuses went under lockdown Monday morning after police dispatch received a threatening phone call.
According to officials, the call came in around 8:15 a.m. and by 8:17, officers were on the scene. After preliminary and secondary sweeps of the EJ Moss East and West campuses, authorities gave the all clear.
“We received an anonymous call,” Lindale Police Chief Dan Somes said. “The caller was advising that he was armed and he had explosive devices and he was at EJ Moss. We had units very close, so the response was quick.”
According to Somes, the following agencies responded and assisted during the lockdown and investigation:
- Department of Public Safety
- Texas Rangers
- Smith County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office
- Smith County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office
- Smith County Sheriff’s Office
- Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office
- Tyler Police Department
- Lindale Fire Department
- FBI
“These students have practiced this,” Lindale ISD Police Chief Joey King said. “It was a shock for everybody, but they knew how to respond. They were very calm, very quiet … very composed.”
After the campuses were initially cleared, the district said the threat did not appear to be real, but law enforcement is expected to be present throughout the week as a precaution.
All campuses are now open and determined to be safe, but the district said parents are welcome to pick up their children if they choose to do so.
“We would just like to say, one, we thank them for their support,” King said. “We appreciate all of our parents, our staff. We’ve had a big response, we appreciate all of them. We just ask you to be patient. We just ask, mainly, that parents be patient just for today and tomorrow as we get through this, but again we appreciate all their support.”
King said the investigation is still ongoing.
