STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Police swarmed Stroudsburg High School after someone called 911 saying there was an active shooter in the building.
According to a press release, police were notified around 8:40 a.m. of an anonymous tip in reference to a firearm at Stroudsburg High School.
Approximately 10 minutes later, 911 received a call that there was an active shooter at the high school, the press release states. They said a parent received the information from their child.
Stroudsburg Area Regional Police say a county-wide active shooter protocol was enacted and numerous officers responded to the high school. They secured the building and did not find an active shooter.
They say the students and staff at the school and the community are not believed to be in danger at this time.
Students were released from Stroudsburg High School early and some say they are scared to return.
“They said there was a reporting of one of the students with a gun so they said right now, no one can go in or out,” Ayanah Santos, 11th grade student exclaimed.
Students tell us their belongings were taken in the process and they were sent home without their backpacks.
“They patted us down and then one of the officers held a gun in my face,” Jelani Rhoden, 8th grade student said.
“I was just on the playground, hanging out with my friend Ron. And we just heard them come over the announcements, because there’s speakers on the outside. He said that this is not a drill everyone needs to hide,” said Madison Shipwash, bystander.
Several parents paced outside the school in fear.
“He sent me this video of him sitting on the floor in class giving me a peace sign like he’s okay, but as a mother, I don’t feel like he’s okay because he’s in a predicament he’s never been before,” Tamaris King, parent said.
She says the incident makes her nervous about letting her son return to school in the future.
“They need to get more security measures in place so these things don’t happen. It’s unsettling for me to send my kids back to this school or any school for that matter,” King said.
“I’m just really shocked this would happen to our school, because it’s a really good school and I don’t know why someone would do this,” Shipwash said.
The Stroudsburg Area School District released a letter Tuesday afternoon regarding the incident.
The letter states that they were able to recover a BB Pellet Gun which was the source of the tip.
