In wake of the Uvalde shooting, hoax active-shooter calls keep parents and police on edge

Law enforcement officers patrol outside of the Akins Early College High School library in Austin on Sept. 15. The school was put on “hold” — a step below a lockdown — after a threat on social media was reported. Experts say there has recently been an increase in fake active-shooter threats at schools across the state. (Credit: Roberto Ramirez for The Texas Tribune)

When Jefferson High School on the west side of San Antonio went on lockdown in response to a reported shooting on campus, parents rushed to the school to collect their children. The scene dissolved as parents and police shouted over each other, with families frantically trying to locate their loved ones as police worked to sweep the campus.

Though the threat was unfounded, the chaos revealed the anxiety Texas families have lived with since the new school year began in August, with the memory of the Uvalde shooting on May 24 still fresh in the minds of Texans.