(Council Bluffs) A false threat led to a temporary lockdown at Franklin Elementary School Tuesday morning, prompting a swift response from local authorities.
At approximately 10:22 a.m., Council Bluffs Police responded to a report from Joyce Sweeney, 39, who claimed that a third party was en route to “shoot up the school.” Officers arrived at Franklin Elementary within minutes. Following district protocol, school staff immediately initiated lockdown procedures, securing the building and preventing outside access.
As a precautionary measure, nearby schools were also placed under lockdown.
After an investigation, police determined the threat was not credible. Sweeney was arrested and charged with Providing False Information, a simple misdemeanor in Iowa. Sweeney has been banned from Franklin Elementary for the remainder of the school year.
All schools were released from lockdown within 25 minutes of the initial report, and no injuries or threats to student safety were reported.
