A Louisiana substitute teacher has been arrested after investigators said she sent false active shooter alerts to five schools, setting off emergency security responses across the Caddo Parish district.
Lytonja Barfield, 58, was booked on five counts of menacing following an investigation into the Wednesday alerts, Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. announced.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation after the Caddo Parish School Board contacted deputies about possible threats tied to emergency notifications at multiple campuses.
Lytonja Barfield, 58, was arrested after authorities said she sent false active shooter alerts involving five schools in Caddo Parish, La. (Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office)
Don Gibbs, the school board’s director of security, told investigators that Barfield, who worked as a substitute teacher, allegedly used the district’s emergency management system to report active shooters at five separate schools, according to the sheriff’s office.
In response, school officials moved quickly to put safety protocols in place as they worked to protect students and staff and verify whether the reported threats were real.
Authorities later concluded the active shooter alerts were false and identified Barfield as the person who sent them, the sheriff’s office said.
Louisiana authorities arrested a substitute teacher accused of triggering false active shooter alerts at five Caddo Parish schools. (Getty Images, File)
Caddo Parish Public Schools told News Outlet Barfield is no longer employed by the district and was not assigned to work at any district location at the time of the incident.
“We are cooperating fully with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office as they continue their investigation into the matter. Ms. Barfield is no longer employed by the district, and, at the time of the incident, she was not assigned to work at any district site,” the district’s statement said.
“While we will not speak to the individual details of the investigation, as that is under the purview of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, I can say that, in response to the mobile alerts, the district followed our established security protocols to ensure student and staff safety at all locations.”
The sheriff’s office did not identify the five schools in its announcement or say what specific security measures were implemented.
A Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office detective later located Barfield and questioned her about the incident.
Based on evidence and information gathered during the investigation, authorities arrested Barfield and transported her to the Caddo Correctional Center, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said false reports of active threats can disrupt schools, trigger emergency responses and cause fear among students, parents and school employees. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, File)
Barfield was booked on five counts of menacing.
The sheriff’s office said false reports of active threats can disrupt schools, trigger emergency responses and cause fear among students, parents, employees and the surrounding community.
Authorities did not disclose a possible motive for the alleged false alerts.
The investigation remains ongoing.
