Water heater malfunction mistaken for gunfire at high school
HAMPSTEAD, N.C. — Classes were delayed by a few hours at a group of North Carolina schools Friday after loud noises from a high school’s malfunctioning water heater prompted a report of an active shooter and a massive law enforcement response.
The response began with a 911 caller’s pre-dawn report of gunfire coming from the roof of Topsail High School, Pender County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. James Rowell said at a news conference. Responding law enforcement officers heard the same noises, but after sweeping the school, they found no shooter, victims or evidence of a shooting, he said.
Once officials learned that a damaged water heater had been making noises, maintenance workers were able to recreate a noise just like gunfire, he said.
Sheriff Carson Smith Jr. said the noises he heard when he arrived on the scene sounded like gunfire.