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A 17-year-old student who allegedly made an illegal 911 call Monday morning in connection with an alleged gunman at Berkeley High School, causing the school to go on lockdown, has since been charged with filing a false police report. Officials later identified the suspect as Cooper Smith.
What happened?
The Monday morning lockdown lasted around 30 minutes. Despite reports of a gunman on campus, nothing was found by officials at the school.
According to WTOC, Berkeley High School issued the following statement concerning the incident:
“During a crisis, or when we must take precautionary measures related to a potential crisis, the most reliable information will always come from law enforcement and/or Berkeley County School District.”
“Information will be released in a way that does not hinder the investigation of law enforcement or put the safety of children at risk.”
“While we want all those connected to Berkeley County School District to find peace of mind during and after such situations, it is crucial that we do not let our communication interfere with those working to secure our campuses and protect our children.”
“We ask that you please help us by choosing not to share or repeat unfounded and unconfirmed rumors of matters involving school safety. We are committed to providing timely, accurate information to our parents and guardians first. If you are not receiving our calls or text messages, please contact your child’s school to ensure that we have your correct contact information in our system. Please also encourage those close to you to follow us, and their child’s school, on Facebook and Twitter so that they always have access to the most accurate information pertaining to student safety.”
At this time, it is believed that all students were kept safe throughout the lockdown incident.
Who is Cooper Smith?
According to WTOC, officials identified the suspect behind the 911 call, claiming there had been a gunman on campus, was Cooper Smith; he was believed to be 17-years-old at the time of the incident. During early reports of the story, it was unclear if he is enrolled as a student at Berkeley High School.
According to Counton 2, Cooper’s full name was given as “Cooper Gazette Smith” and he was identified as a Berkeley High School student. At this time, he is currently being held at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
As this story is developing, more information will be added as made available.