WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Loud noises from a classroom science experiment led to the evacuation of a West Valley City school on Monday following a false alarm of shots possibly fired. However, officials said a shooting had not taken place and there was never any danger to students or staff.
A 911 call was placed around 11:30 a.m., leading officers from multiple agencies to respond to Granger Elementary School at 3700 South 1950 West and clearing the building as a precaution.
Spencer Joseph and Adam Herbets with details below on the false alarm that led to a school evacuation
About an hour after officers first responded, the Granite School District said the false alarm was reported by a teacher who thought they heard shots fired, which were instead several loud noises from a volcano experiment in a nearby classroom.
"Again, everyone is SAFE as this was a non-credible threat," the district tweeted.
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Ben Horsley with the school district said there are policies already in place to notify officials about the possibility of loud noises that could be perceived as gunfire or explosions.
"Unfortunately, it just appears there was a lack of communication or misunderstanding. Either way, we're very glad for the outcome, that it was a science experiment and not some other serious situation," said Horsley during a briefing.
Although the teacher called 911 directly before notifying the school's front office, no disciplinary action is expected to be taken.
"Communication is pretty critical in these types of situations and probably could have alleviated a lot of concern on the part of parents and the community, as a whole, with some additional communication," added Horsley, who said he expects the district to review proper policy with the school staff.
Whenever 911 is contacted from a Granite School District facility, the district itself is automatically notified that an emergency call has been placed.
Granite School District spokesperson Ben Horsley holds a briefing below on the school false alarm
Parents were originally told to pick up their children at the nearby Redwood Swap Meet, but the district said students were eventually allowed back inside the school and classes proceeded as normal. The district added that parents were still be allowed to pick up their children "if they feel that is appropriate."
Resources and crisis team members will be made available to school staff or students who may have been traumatized by the events following the false alarm.
