Lathrop Safety Incident | November 2, 2022

At approximately 2:00pm on Wednesday, November 2, multiple law enforcement agencies arrived at Lathrop High School in response to a call they had received about an active shooter. Lathrop High, Ryan Middle, Hunter Elementary, and Barnette Magnet were placed into lockdown. Staff and students responded according to their practiced active threat response (ALICE) and locked themselves in classrooms and prepared for evacuation if necessary. Law enforcement went classroom to classroom securing Lathrop High. Although some students were approached by police as they cleared the halls, there was no credible threat and no one was taken into custody. Law enforcement was able to confirm the threat was a hoax and the school was safe.

At approximately 2:27pm, the schools were removed from lockdown and proceeded with normal student dismissal. Some students may experience bussing delays due to the interruption to Lathrop, Ryan, and Hunter’s normal dismissal time.

The district’s emotional support team will be dispatched to Lathrop High tomorrow to help support students and staff who may have been understandably shaken by the events of today. An officer will also be present at Lathrop tomorrow morning to check in with students and staff.

We are very grateful for the rapid and serious response from Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, and the UAF Police Department. Thank you to our teachers and staff who acted immediately to ensure student safety.