Substitute teacher arrested after allegedly triggering false active shooter alerts at 5 schools: sheriff

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Key points

• Lytonja Barfield, 58, was booked on five counts of menacing after an investigation into the alerts Wednesday, Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr.
• A Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office detective afterwards located Barfield and questioned her concerning the incident.
• Based on evidence and information gathered during the investigation, authorities arrested Barfield and transported her to the Caddo Correctional Center, according to the sheriff's office.
• We are cooperating fully with the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office as they continue their investigation into the matter.
• Authorities determined the alerts were false and identified Barfield as the person responsible for sending them, the sheriff's office stated.

In practice, a substitute teacher in Louisiana was arrested after authorities say she triggered false active shooter alerts at five schools, prompting security responses throughout the district.

Lytonja Barfield, 58, was booked on five counts of menacing after an investigation into the alerts Wednesday, Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. Confirmed.

For context, the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office began investigating after authorities with the Caddo Parish School Board contacted the agency concerning feasible threats after emergency alerts at a number of schools.

Don Gibbs, the school board's director of security, informed investigators that Barfield, a substitute teacher, had allegedly employed the district's emergency management system to report active shooters at five schools, according to the sheriff's office.

School authorities responded to the alerts by implementing security measures to protect students and staff while they worked to determine whether the noted threats were legitimate.

Caddo Parish Public Schools informed Fox News Digital Barfield is no longer employed by the district and was not assigned to work at any district location at the time of the incident.

"We are cooperating fully with the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office as they continue their investigation into the matter. Ms. Barfield is no longer employed by the district, and, at the time of the incident, she was not assigned to work at any district site, " the district's statement remarked.

"While we will not speak to the individual details of the investigation, as that is under the purview of the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, I can say that, in response to the mobile alerts, the district followed our established security protocols to ensure student and staff safety at all locations."

Meanwhile, the sheriff's office did not identify the five schools in its announcement or say what specific security measures were implemented.

In practice, a Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office detective afterwards located Barfield and questioned her concerning the incident.

Based on evidence and information gathered during the investigation, authorities arrested Barfield and transported her to the Caddo Correctional Center, according to the sheriff's office. Barfield was booked on five counts of menacing.

Meanwhile, the sheriff's office remarked false reports of active threats can disrupt schools, trigger emergency responses and cause fear among students, parents, employees and the surrounding community. Start your day with all you need to know. Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

Authorities did not disclose a feasible motive for the alleged false alerts.

For now, substitute teacher arrested after allegedly triggering false active shooter alerts at 5 remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.