A lightning strike is believed to be the cause of an errant intruder alarm at the Cassville primary, intermediate and middle school campus Friday morning.

According to a district statement, all students and staff are safe following the false intruder alarm, which caused students and staff to immediately shelter in place while local law enforcement, the district safety team and district staff responded immediately to investigate the situation.

“After a thorough review, we believe the alarm was triggered by a lightning strike,” the statement said. “There was no threat to campus, and once the area was confirmed to be secure, we returned to normal operations. 

“We know how concerning these situations can be, and we’re proud of the quick and calm response by our students, staff, and emergency personnel. As always, safety remains our top priority and we will continue to review and strengthen our procedures. Thank you for your continued support and trust. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s building level office.”