The Burbank Police Dept. received a false report of a school shooting at John Burroughs High School on the afternoon of April 4 from an unidentified caller.

At around 2:37 p.m., an unidentified person called the Burbank Police Dept. Communication Center and said multiple students had been shot in a classroom at John Burroughs High School, located at 1920 W. Clark Ave. The school was immediately notified of the report and police officers responded. The first officers arrived shortly after the call was received and immediately began a systematic search of the school campus.

Burbank police officers conducted a thorough search of the school campus and did not locate any victims or evidence of a shooting. The campus was deemed safe and students remained on campus as class resumed.

Occasionally, the Burbank Police Dept. receives fake emergency calls involving reports of a shooting, stabbing or bomb threat, which are commonly referred to as “swatting” incidents. These calls involve the action of making a false report of an emergency to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers, or Special Weapons and Tactics teams (SWAT), to a particular address. This type of false reporting of an emergency is illegal and extremely dangerous. Fake or prank emergency calls place first responders and members of the public at risk and tie up emergency resources. False emergency calls and hoaxes have resulted in serious injury and even death in the United States.

The Burbank Police Dept. stated that it takes this issue very seriously and will investigate all false reports of emergencies. Anyone suspected of reporting a false emergency or false crime will be held liable, both criminally and civilly for any costs associated with the response of public safety personnel.