On Tuesday, April 2 at approximately 11:00 a.m., a 9-1-1 call was received by the Becker County Sheriff’s Office. The information was forwarded to the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office. The anonymous called advised law enforcement an unknown party was in the area of the Waubun High School in the City of Waubun. The individual was possibly armed with a firearm. The Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, White Earth Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minnesota DNR immediately responded.
The high school was placed on immediate lockdown and secured by law enforcement while an investigation was conducted. After a search of the area and several residences, as well as interviews with citizens/homeowners in the area there was no evidence to support the initial threat. The Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office stationed extra deputies at the school/area for the duration of the school day.
At this time law enforcement does not believe there is a threat to the public/school.
Also, the following was released by the Waubun School District:
“Everyone is safe. Today Tuesday, April 2, 2019, at 10:58 am the Waubun School implemented a lockdown due to a report of a person with a weapon near the school building. The report was determined to be “unfounded”, which means after an intensive search and investigation, the report was not substantiated at this time. There will be an ongoing investigation into this incident. The administration, staff, and students did an excellent job of following emergency procedures. The police and sheriff’s office established and maintained a safety perimeter around the school very quickly. I want to thank the officers for their quick response. While there was no direct threat against the school, we will continue to be proactive in our responses to make sure we are keeping the safety of our students and staff at the forefront. A part of that safety includes not sending out alerts about the situation that may put us at greater risk and or compromise law enforcement efforts. We continue to be in a code yellow. Parents, please avoid the natural instinct of wanting to come to school. We need to give law enforcement the clearance they need to continue their investigation. I will notify you when we are back to full clearance. Thank you.”
