Alleged prank call leads to lockdown of Oxford School District campuses

Published 12:24 pm Wednesday, February 24, 2021

The Oxford Police Department is investigating an alleged prank call that resulted in the lockdown of Oxford School District campuses on Tuesday.

On Feb. 23 at approximately 1:30 p.m., OPD received a call requesting assistance and dispatchers gathered further information. It was then determined that the call appeared to be a domestic violence situation involving a weapon.

Due to the nature of the call and the proximity of the reported incident to one school campus, OSD and its school resource officers initiated soft lockdown procedures at Oxford Intermediate and Central Elementary Schools located near Washington Avenue.

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Once officers arrived on scene, it was determined no incident had occurred in Oxford’s city limits and the all-clear was given to the schools to release the lockdown. Investigators, along with OPD dispatchers, began to investigate the origin of the call and are currently working with other agencies in other states to assist in locating the caller.

After speaking with multiple agencies and checking locations in their jurisdictions, OPD does not believe the incident to be an actual event, but rather a prank call.

“Calls such as these should never happen, as they place our public and law enforcement in danger,” OPD’s statement read. “This is a matter that will not be taken lightly. We are actively investigating this incident and working with prosecution to resolve this case.”

Further updates will be provided as it is an ongoing investigation.