SC governor asks SLED to review law enforcement response after school shooting hoax
Panic gripped South Carolina Wednesday as 911 calls came in reporting more than a dozen schools shootings across the state.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers rushed to locked down school campuses to begin a search for the shooters. But no attackers were found. The calls were a hoax, law enforcement has said.
On Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster released a letter calling for a review of law enforcement’s response to the fake shootings. Addressed to Mark Keel, chief of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, it requests the state agency review the response in order to establish best practices for schools and law enforcement.
“I believe this situation provides our state’s law enforcement agencies with a rare opportunity to learn from this unprecedented incident; to learn what worked best and what can be improved upon,” McMaster said. “We must use this unfortunate event to identify all of our strengths and vulnerabilities and address any gaps identified to ensure that our children, teachers, and staff are safe at school.”
In his letter, the governor highlighted the successful law enforcement response to the incident.
“Some officers made it to campus and were inside the school buildings within two minutes,” he said.
But McMaster urged law enforcement to use the opportunity to review their polices and practices.
At a press conference Wednesday, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott credited his department’s extensive preparations for an “outstanding” response to a call claiming that there was a shooter at Blythewood High.
“We probably had 150 police officers respond... Everybody did exactly what they have been trained to do,” Lott said.
This story was originally published October 8, 2022 at 10:51 AM.