On Wednesday, Oct 6th just before 8 am, staff at Washington Liberty High School received an anonymous call that reported an active shooter in the school. Staff contacted authorities immediately and locked down the school. Students were quickly evacuated to safety off site after ACPD arrived on scene. ACPD gave the all clear later in the day.

    “This was frightening for everyone involved, and we are grateful for the quick response by Washington-Liberty Principal Tony Hall, his staff, and the ACPD to keep our staff and students safe. ACPD has given the all-clear for school to resume on its normal schedule tomorrow, with increased police presence” said APS Superintendent Dr. Duran on Wednesday evening.

      Luckily no students were injured and everyone is safe but this incident begs the question, what should you do if you see or hear about a threat to public or personal safety? The easiest way to make sure a situation like the one at W-L ends peacefully is to quickly talk to a trusted adult, such as a counselor, a parent or a teacher. Most of the time they will have resources to contact who can help with the situation; it never hurts to voice your concerns to someone trusted. You can always call 911 if you see something suspicious, but you can also call 877-482-8477 or 877-4VA-TIPS. 

       What should you say on these calls? Homeland security says to keep in mind the 5 Ws: Who, What, Where, When, and Why the activitiy looks suspicious. With this information, and a timely call, you can save lives. If the time comes, follow the steps above and step up and make the call.