On Tuesday, February 7, students, faculty and staff at Nouvel Catholic Central High School, as well as staff at the Diocesan Chancery Offices, which shares building space with the high school, were in lockdown following an active shooter call.
The call came into Saginaw County Central Dispatch stating there was an active shooter inside Nouvel Catholic Central High School in Saginaw, and that two students had been shot. Officers from Saginaw Township Police Department were on the scene within minutes and forced entry to look for any injured students or staff.
The call was determined to be a hoax and it is believed to be related to other false 911 active shooter calls across the state of Michigan today, all at the same time. The investigation into this situation is ongoing.
“To impact an educational environment … to possibly inflict emotional trauma on our students, staff and faculty is not a joke and not something we take lightly,” said Superintendent of Catholic Schools Cormac Lynn. “We will be providing support to our students and faculty. We are thankful for the training we have in place, for the great leaders in our school and classrooms who responded appropriately, along with the outstanding response from law enforcement.”
Once the entire school building and adjoining chancery offices were secured, all students, school faculty and staff and diocesan staff, were taken to the Nouvel gymnasium for dismissal. Prior to dismissal, Bishop Robert Gruss was able to pray with all gathered.
“The students experienced something very traumatic,” Bishop Gruss said. “Thankfully, it was a hoax, but they now know these things really do happen … and they can happen at Nouvel.”
We are deeply grateful for the exceptional and immediate response of law enforcement, and we are thanking God that everyone walked away from this situation. Please keep in your prayers all students, faculty, staff, families and communities across our country who have been impacted by school violence.