Authorities in Louisiana apprehended a substitute teacher, Lytonja Barfield, after she allegedly set off false active shooter alerts at five schools. The alerts led to security responses across the district in Caddo Parish.
Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. announced Barfield’s arrest. The 58-year-old faces five counts of menacing after an investigation into the alerts. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated the investigation after receiving concerns from the Caddo Parish School Board regarding potential threats.
According to reports, Barfield reportedly used the district’s emergency management system to declare active shooter situations at five educational institutions. Don Gibbs, the school board’s director of security, shared this information with investigators.
School officials responded promptly, enforcing security protocols to ensure the safety of students and staff while verifying the legitimacy of the alerts. Upon investigation, officials found the alerts to be false, identifying Barfield as responsible for the misinformation.
Caddo Parish Public Schools confirmed Barfield’s dismissal, clarifying that she was not scheduled to work at any district facility on the day of the alerts. The district expressed full cooperation with the ongoing investigation led by the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified the schools involved or the specific security measures implemented during the incidents. Detective work pointed to Barfield as the source of the alerts, leading to her arrest and subsequent transportation to the Caddo Correctional Center.
Authorities highlighted the potential disruptions caused by false reports of active threats, such as school interruptions and unnecessary emergency responses. The investigation is ongoing, and no motive for the alerts has been disclosed.