West Elementary School under fifth lockdown this week following several threats, swatting calls

ARCADIA, Fla. (WINK)—West Elementary School is now under its fifth lockdown, following several threats made at the school this week. 

On Friday, multiple deputies from the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office are on scene after there were two calls, first for a hostage in a math class, and the second for a bomb threat.

As of 2:20 p.m. on Friday, the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office confirmed a fifth swatting call had occurred at West Elementary School, the second lockdown to occur on this day alone.

The scene remains active as deputies conduct their investigation.

It remains unclear how long their investigation will last. 

The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office released a statement Friday afternoon regarding the two threats made.

"The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, along with members of the Arcadia Police Department, responded to West Elementary School this afternoon regarding threats made. We treat every call seriously and followed standard law enforcement procedures to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty, and staff.
Deputies conducted a systematic and thorough search of the campus, including all classrooms and facilities, confirming there was no credible threat. The call was determined to be a hoax, commonly referred to as a “swatting” call.
We appreciate the cooperation of school administrators, staff, students, and all responding personnel throughout the incident. The case is currently being investigated by our Criminal Investigative Division (CID).
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to safeguarding our schools and protecting the well-being of our community."

Below is WINK News' coverage of the fourth swatting call that occurred Friday morning.

Multiple deputies were present at the scene Friday morning after there were two calls, first for a hostage in a math class, and the second for a bomb threat. The second call is what forced the students to evacuate.

According to DeSoto County Sheriff James Potter, the called wanted $1000 in cryptocurrency. 

Deputies conducted a systematic and thorough search of the campus, including all classrooms and facilities, and confirmed that there was no credible threat. The call was determined to be a hoax, or a “swatting” call.

WINK News reporter Sommer Senne saw students evacuating the school and into the parking lot around 7:50 a.m. Around 8:15 a.m., students were seen walking back to class.

This is the fourth time the school was on lockdown this week.

Both DeSoto County deputies and Arcadia police were at the campus. It comes as there was already an increased law enforcement presence at the school. 

In a statement following the clearance, the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office said, "We treat every call seriously and followed standard law enforcement procedures to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty, and staff."

According to DeSoto County Sheriff James Potter, this is a very active investigation. He said that the called could be anywhere in the world.

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story.