Fairbanks P.D., Troopers, SWAT squad converge on Smith Middle School before getting ‘odd’ report from dispatcher
Law enforcement officers and a SWAT team converged on a middle school in Fairbanks Thursday after getting a report of what officials later determined was false information about gunshots at the school on the north side of town.
Fairbanks Police Chief Ron Dupee said when he and more than 20 other officers got to Smith Middle School, a dispatcher relayed some information to him that raised doubts.
“As soon as we arrived on scene, we were advised by our dispatch center that the call had originated from Canada,” he said. “So right away, we thought that there something odd about that.”
Despite their suspicions, Dupee said officers responded to ensure there really was not a shooter in the schoolhouse. Or to determine whether it was just another so-called “swatting” incident, in which a person calls 911 to report a fake emergency that results in police and a SWAT squad responding and creating panic among bystanders at the scene.
“We went inside to the location where supposedly the incident had taken place,” he said. “We found nothing out of the ordinary. Other law enforcement agencies started arriving on scene as well. At that point, we determined that it was a hoax and that there was no active threat at the school.”
The chief said those agencies included Alaska State Troopers and members of the Northern SWAT squad.
“Anytime there's a call like this, even if we believe it to be a hoax, we go through the whole process,” he said. “We lock down the school, we go to the area to determine if there is any active threat. And if there's not, then we pass that on to the school district and … we can open the school back up.”
Dupee said law-enforcement officers in Fairbanks and nationwide have learned to take all reports of school shootings seriously, because it’s become an increasingly common phenomenon. That’s shown in studies like one CNN compiled last year that says after the pandemic, school shootings sharply increased from 2021 to 2024, and set new records every year.
“These unfortunately are not isolated incidents anymore,” he said. “This is a more common occurrence.”
And so are reports of shootings that turn out to be false. The chief said that happened most recently in Fairbanks back in November at Lathrop High School.
“ It's not funny, it's not a joke. Everybody takes these things really seriously, and it's quite emotional. It can take an emotional toll on people.”
Dupee said Fairbanks P.D. is investigating the case. He suspects the call didn’t really originate in Canada, but said that may be hard to determine.
He said anyone with any information about the incident should call Lieutenant Amy Davis with Fairbanks Police Investigations Unit at 907-450-6500.
