'Swatting' incident prompts lockdown at Lake City High School
KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 1 day AGO
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | September 24, 2026 1:00 AM
COEUR d'ALENE — Lake City High School went into lockdown Wednesday after an anonymous caller falsely claimed there was a man in the parking lot with "firearms and a bomb," according to authorities.
The Coeur d'Alene Police Department received a call around 1 p.m. from someone claiming to be a student at LCHS. The caller said she had received a message from her boyfriend containing a photo of firearms and explosives and disconnected before dispatchers could obtain more information, according to police.
The school immediately initiated lockdown procedures. Additional officers arrived on scene within a minute, according to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department. Officers secured the parking lot and began to sweep the school for the suspect.
According to a news release, officers found no suspicious people or items during the search. Officers also checked the school for possible threats. Out of an abundance of caution, police also responded to Coeur d'Alene High School and completed the same checks. The school did not go into lockdown or a safety hold. Police did not locate any suspect or assailant.
Athol Elementary went into a safety hold due to its proximity to Lake City High School, according to the Coeur d'Alene School District. Authorities said the hold was lifted and there was no danger.
"This incident appears to be a case of swatting, a growing issue across the country, where false threats divert significant law enforcement resources," a news release said. "Two additional swatting calls were received today in the Boise area."
Swatting is the act of making a false report of a serious emergency to trigger a large law enforcement response, often involving a SWAT team, to an unsuspecting person's location.
Wednesday's lockdown is the latest in a string of apparent swatting incidents throughout North Idaho.
A similar event happened May 1 at the Silver Lake Mall in Coeur d'Alene, resulting in an evacuation.
Benewah County Sheriff's personnel responded to a confirmed swatting incident at St. Maries High School in May, which sent the school into lockdown and prompted an emergency response from police.
In August, the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office responded to a false report of a shooting at a Wallace residence.
Investigators are still working to determine the source of Wednesday's call.
ARTICLES BY KAYE THORNBRUGH
Stateline shooter pleads guilty to manslaughter
A DoorDash driver who fatally shot a pedestrian during a road rage incident near Stateline Speedway has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, though whether a judge will accept the pretrial settlement offer in the case remains to be seen.
Stateline shooter pleads guilty to manslaughter
Prosecutors originally charged Edsel Johnson with first-degree murder
A DoorDash driver who fatally shot a pedestrian during a road rage incident near Stateline Speedway has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, though whether a judge will accept the pretrial settlement offer in the case remains to be seen.
Kootenai County history revealed
Community members get close-up look at time capsule contents
Liz Boutin is no stranger to historical artifacts. A museum professional and fine artist, Boutin said she's handled Egyptian and Greek items that date back to antiquity. But she had a new experience this summer, after local historical preservationists retrieved a 100-year time capsule from inside the outer wall of the old Kootenai County courthouse.