Shooting false alarm at Mt. Vernon Elementary

A false report claiming Mt. Vernon Elementary was victim to a shooting incident was circulated online today, April 10. The report was AI-generated, according to a statement from the Mt. Vernon Police Department. The Mt. Vernon School District and the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office also confirmed that the report of a shooting at the school was not truthful. The statements say that the false report was circulated on Facebook, but upon investigation, there was no incident to address. The Mt. Vernon school district released a statement in the form of an email to parents.

"An AI generated message was sent out on Facebook stating there was a shooting at our elementary campus. This is NOT true.  We have been in contact with local law enforcement, and this INVALID AI generated message was sent out to social media causing unnecessary alarm.  There is NO threat. 

"Again, there is NO threat at any of our campuses.  We have worked with law enforcement to ensure that there is no threat, and the campus went into all safety protocols until law enforcement verified there was no active threat."

More information will be released as it becomes available.