German Twp. police investigating false shooter report from student

Father says his daughter misunderstood and was scared, but didn’t mean any harm.

German Twp. police are investigating after a student at Northwestern High School allegedly said there was a shooter in the area when there wasn’t.

The school briefly locked down on Tuesday. During that lockdown, one student reportedly texted her father that there was a shooter in the area and he posted about it on Facebook.

The father, Andrew Althouse, said he learned afterward that the lockdown was for a medical situation but students weren’t informed about that. He said his daughter misunderstood and was scared, especially because her mother was shot and killed several years ago.

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There was no one with a gun at or near the school, German Twp. Police Chief Michael Stitzel said, and it caused a lot of panic. An investigation is ongoing, he said, and the student may be charged.

The student has been suspended but she didn’t mean any harm, Althouse said.

“She was just a scared child,” Althouse said.

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