Transcript of hoax 911 call about Minnesota high school shooter released

Mark Wasson — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:01:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — A newly released transcript of the hoax active shooter call detailed a horrific scene for law enforcement to respond to Sept. 21, 2022, at Lourdes High �� in Rochester.

According to a transcript of the 911 call to Olmsted County Dispatch obtained through a public records request by the Post Bulletin, a man called around 10:05 a.m. to say there was an active shooter at Lourdes High ��.

He went on to say the school was in lockdown after six students were shot by a white man wearing body armor with an AK-47.

According to the transcript, the call started with a male voice relaying a frightening message:

MALE: Yes, yes, (INDISCERNIBLE), there is an active shooter in the high school, Lourdes High ��, (INDISCERNIBLE), —

DISP: What high school?

MALE: — there is an active shooter in the high school, hello.

911 call transcript for Rochester hoax active shooter call by inforumdocs on Scribd

About 30 students were stuck in an English class, according to the caller, who said the students who had been shot were in a classroom next door. The caller claimed he was there, in the school at the time, in classroom number 201.

The man ended the call around 10:09 a.m. with the dispatcher trying to find out where the shooter was in the school. Law enforcement arrived four minutes after the call was initially made to find that is was, in fact, a hoax.

No students or other Lourdes personnel were hurt, and no shooter had ever been at the school.

At least 15 schools in Minnesota from Rochester to Cloquet were called Sept. 21 with the same type of call, according to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington. Law enforcement says the calls in Minnesota were internet calls made from similar IP addresses.

“Hoax calls can potentially disrupt the response capabilities to real public safety emergencies and illicit panic and fear that can have long-lasting effects on a community, neither of which occurred yesterday due to the rapid response and quick assessment of the situation at hand,” Rochester Police Chief Jim Franklin said during a press conference that day. “Our investigations team actively investigates all hoax calls and collaborates with state and federal investigators as necessary.”

These hoax calls are part of a spat of "swatting" calls across the country in recent weeks hitting schools in Virginia, Colorado , Arkansas, California, Florida, Missouri and Texas causing the Federal Bureau of Investigation to get involved.

“The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,” Cyndi Barrington, public affairs officer for the Minneapolis division of the FBI wrote in an email to the Post Bulletin.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the hoax calls that occurred in Minnesota while working with local partners across the state.

]]>

Rochester man who died in plane crash remembered as hard worker with a smile

Mark Wasson — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 23:40:46 GMT

ROCHESTER — Ethan Smith is remembered by friends as always having a smile on his face regardless of what was in front of him.

Smith, 20, was killed along with 28-year-old John Zeman on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in a plane crash outside Red Wing Regional Airport.

"He was the kid who would literally do anything for the team, like run through a brick wall," friend Van Albrecht said.

Albrecht and Smith grew up together as neighbors, teammates and friends.

"He always had a smile on his face and was never in a bad mood," Albrecht said. "Whatever he was going through that day, it didn't show. He was always laughing and always positive."

The plane, a 2012 Glasair Super 2, left Rochester International Airport at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday for a training flight, with a planned destination of Red Wing Regional Airport, which is located across the Mississippi River near Hager City, Wisconsin.

Around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday, local emergency responders were called to the scene of the crash in a field along Wisconsin Highway 35, roughly half of a mile west of the airport.

Albrecht said one of his favorite memories was Smith scoring his first goal during a tough season his senior year playing hockey for Lourdes High �� in Rochester.

"It was one of the coolest things ever. He jumped in the air," Albrecht said, adding that the coaches were ecstatic for the goal because everyone had been rooting for Smith to score.

https://twitter.com/LHSBoysPuck/status/1567622350480330752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Albrecht's father, David Albrecht, coached Smith on and off since Smith was 12 years old, and said Smith had a passion for flying and had been flying solo for a couple years.

On the Lourdes High �� Class of 2020 senior spotlight page, Smith wrote about his plans to study commercial aviation and eventually become a commercial airline pilot.

"Everyone's at a loss," Albrecht said. "I know a lot of the family, and that's pretty tough."

Smith is also remembered as a person who held himself accountable.

"One of the biggest things I remember is just his attention to detail and how much he cared," said Joe Knoepke, a former hockey coach of Smith's. "If he made a mistake in any way, shape or form, whether mental or physical, he would always want to know what he can do better."

The National Traffic Safety Board is continuing its investigation of the crash, which is expected to take several months to complete.

"His teammates absolutely loved him. He was a great kid. He has wonderful parents, and it's a terrible loss," Knoepke said.

]]>

LOURDES HIGH SCHOOL

Transcript of hoax 911 call about Minnesota high school shooter released

Rochester man who died in plane crash remembered as hard worker with a smile