Crime & Public Safety
Fargo schools briefly secured after report of armed person; alert sent district-wide in error
A report of a man carrying a gun near multiple Fargo schools prompted a “secure the building” status at six district buildings in Fargo, and the district later said the alert was mistakenly sent to all Fargo Public Schools families.
Fargo Police tell investigators they were dispatched to a location in south Fargo at approximately 1:34 p.m. for a report of a man carrying a gun. Because the call was near several schools, the district office was notified and six buildings were placed into secure-the-building status: Lewis and Clark Elementary, Explorer Academy, Carl Ben Eielson Middle School, Jefferson Elementary, South High School and Agassiz.
Officers were unable to locate anyone matching the description, and the Fargo Police Department told the district there was no evidence of a crime. Instruction continued inside the affected schools during the secure period, and police cleared the situation soon after the alert was sent.
Fargo Public Schools acknowledged the family notification was delivered to all district families and staff through the district’s new messaging system rather than only to families at the affected schools. The superintendent apologized and attributed the erroneous mass distribution to an error when using the new system. All buildings subsequently resumed normal operations.
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