Confirmed swatting incident led to lockdown at Madison Southern High School

Madison Southern High School went on lockdown this morning as a precaution this morning.

According to a press release from the Berea Police Department the school received a call at approximately 8:59 a.m. Tuesday morning with the caller "making threats to harm students and responding."

The Berea Police responded and arrived "on the scene to ensure the safety of students and staff." The Berea Police Department, along with the Berea Fire Department, Berea Public Works, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Eastern Kentucky K9 unit, Kentucky State Police and representatives from the FBI.

Following an investigation, the threat was determined to be a "swatting" incident with no immediate danger.

"We then coordinated with MSHS administration to assist with an optional student pick-up process," the social media post said. "We are extremely grateful to all of the responding agencies and the community who showed patience while we investigated the incident. We take these threats very seriously and will always be there to make sure our schools are a safe place for students to grow and learn.

Earlier Tuesday, the school confirmed the threat as a swatting incident, but added school officials will “continued to cooperate with law enforcement to confirm our building is safe and follow all required protocols.”

“The students and staff are safe and we are working to make sure they are all comfortable and well-taken care of,” the post said.

Swatting is "the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address."

As of 11 a.m. this morning, the Berea Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Berea Fire Department and “multiple agencies” were still in the scene investigating the threat. The Berea Police Department urged citizens to “stay away from the area and to not contact the school until the incident is resolved.”

“We understand your concern for your children at the school but we are confident they they are safe to remain in the schools,” the Berea PD said in a social media post. “We will update everyone with further details as we know them. We thank you all for your patience as we ensure the safety of everyone involved.”