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Texas School for the Deaf receives threatening phone call

The school said there was never an active threat and the school was never on lockdown.

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that the school sent out a "lockdown" alert. However, the school said it was never on lockdown.

The Texas School for the Deaf (TDS) received a threatening phone call Wednesday, prompting an investigation from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Austin Police Department (APD).

At 2:40 p.m. on March 22, school officials stated that they received a threatening phone call from a 1-800 number with a robotic voice. The voice stated that the campus would be blown up with explosives.

The school said according to procedure, the DPS was immediately contacted. Through its mass notification app, EverBridge, DPS sent an active threat alert indicating the school was on lockdown. 

TDS said it does not have the ability to send or receive alerts from EverBridge, but stated that there was never an active threat and the school was never on lockdown.

At around 5 p.m., DPS sent a second notice was sent to all State employees saying that the school had an "active law enforcement event" on the campus. 

TDS said its students have not returned yet from spring break, but Wednesday evening, DPS provided campus patrols as a precaution. 

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