Anonymous
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
1:00 p.m., April 3, 2023
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an active shooter at San Marcos High School that was quickly determined to be a “swatting” call. On Monday, April 3, 2023, at approximately 10:26 a.m. deputies, along with California Highway Patrol responded to San Marcos High School, while County Fire and American Medical Response staged in the area.
Deputies were on scene within minutes and quickly suspected that this was a “swatting” incident. In an abundance of caution, students and staff at the school were asked to shelter in place while law enforcement conducted a room-by-room search of the campus. No injured persons or shooters were found during the search, and the report was determined to be a hoax. The shelter-in-place was lifted at 11:15 a.m. The Sheriff’s Office is currently working to identify the individual responsible for the swatting call and bring them to justice.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public that swatting calls are not only illegal, but they put the lives of innocent people at risk. Anyone found responsible for making a swatting call will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank the students, parents, and staff at San Marcos High School for their cooperation during this incident, and for their efforts in maintaining a safe and secure campus environment.
Photo: SB Sheriff’s Office
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
11:15 a.m., April 3, 2023
School has been searched and is SAFE. Lockdown lifted. Parents should check in at the attendance office.
By the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
10:45 a.m., April 3, 2023
In an abundance of caution, the school has been place on lockdown while the entire campus is searched. Updates here as soon as they are available. Please avoid the area.
Deputies responded to San Marcos High School at 10:26am for a report of an active shooter and were on scene in minutes. So far, this is unfounded.
Reported by edhat readers
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Was at Turnpike off-ramp, stopped for 12+ marked and unmarked police cars speeding towards San Marcos HS.
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Lockdown at San Marcos. Lots of Cops with rifles just showed up at San Marcos High School, does anyone have more information?
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Starting around 10:30 am. Not a drill. Kids are texting from school that they’re under lockdown. There is heavy police presence and sirens are blaring.
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My son is reporting a lockdown at San Marcos High School. He is reporting that deputies are on campus.
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Is there an active shooter on SMHS?
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I’m a parent and am getting texts from my teen. SMHS is on lockdown with SWAT on campus.
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I’m getting texts from my senior at San Marcos HS who is saying the school is on lockdown and there are deputies, heavily armed, clearing out the classroom. Any news on this?
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Why is the high school in lockdown?
Photos by Cyndie
Thanks to all the first responders! They were there even before my kid txt’d me from class. Hope they catch the hoaxer and persecute to full extent of law and made example of. Wasting everyone’s time and freaking out kids with a swatting call to a school is just scummy.
Unfortunately, many of these calls now come from overseas.
I do hope that’s not the case here, and they do find and prosecute.
2:32 – Is that true? That’s crazy that someone oversees would target our schools to do this. What do they gain? So sad that they would exploit this almost uniquely American fear.
There was spree in October that seems to originated in Ethiopia:
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1129919258/swatting-fake-school-shooter-calls-hoax-pattern
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/where-those-swatting-hoaxes-may-be-coming-from/2022/10
It probably wasn’t really someone overseas. But the Internet makes it easy to route calls wherever you want, and less wealthy countries like Ethiopia are more likely to have phone systems that are vulnerable to being hacked.
Except, if you read the linked articles, the voice/accent of the caller was consistent with caller from Ethiopia.
Just wanted to say thank you, if you’re reading this first responders. Thank you for putting your lives on the line to protect our most innocent.
You should update this to make it clear that there is NO active shooter at SMHS
It’s pretty clear.
It is NOW but when I posted that it still said active shooter report at SMSH…
I believe it said “Active Shooter Response at SMHigh” which was all the information at that time and then it was updated as more info came out. Pretty standard.
Let’s hope they locate the ones who did this…
Sad that L.E. is unable to trace a phone call.
It takes time. Spoofing, VPNs, and call routing make it a lot more complicated than you think. I just hope LE involves the FBI for assistance with this (likely) cyber crime, they are experts in that kind of stuff.
Thank you Sheriffs for quick response.
Kids were goofing off in their locked classrooms though, did not close blinds, laughing making jokes.
Not taking it seriously. Thankfully it was a false alarm.
The District wants to remove law enforcement from campuses.
Didn’t they already fire the campus resource officer at San Marcos?
Has it occurred to the SBSO that this whole incident may have been a “test” of County emergency services in preparation for a more dramatic, and dangerous scheme. Worth thinking about.
Such as? Which conspiracy theory do you have in mind?
well the Nashville shooter scouted several locations and spent a good deal of time planning out the attack so CTGSB’s comment is far from a conspiracy theory.
In theory anything’s possible, but what is the purpose of the fearmongering? Kids and parents are already stressed enough about the reality of school shootings. Commenting on how this could have been a practice run is unhelpful on many levels. It changes nothing except to introduce more unhealthy fear. Your words are more harmful than helpful.