Major operation in Wilhelmshaven: threatening calls to school alert the police!

Major operation in Wilhelmshaven: threatening calls to school alert the police!

A worrying scenario is unfolding today at the Marion Dönhoff School in Wilhelmshaven. On Thursday morning, at exactly 8:17 a.m., there was a massive police operation after threatening calls were received at the secretariat between 9:07 and 9:10 a.m. In these calls, a shooting spree was announced at 10:00 a.m. by an unknown and distorted youth voice. This alerted the Wilhelmshaven/Friesland police station, which then mobilized all available forces, supported by service dog handlers. There were around 320 students and 50 teachers in the school at the time, which made the situation even more tense.[Regional Today]

The police's immediate measures included securing the school building in close coordination with the school management and the formation of emergency access forces. The school rooms were temporarily closed and the affected classes were evacuated in a controlled manner to the neighboring sports hall. During the operation, two children received medical treatment as a precautionary measure, but the predicted bad event at 10:00 a.m. did not occur. The search of the school revealed no evidence of any actual threat, which ultimately led to the recent termination of the police operation at 1:23 p.m. It was important to the city of Wilhelmshaven to organize transport for the children to their parents in order to ensure a safe return as quickly as possible.[press portal]

Fake news and confusion

The situation was further complicated during the operation by false reports on social networks. Rumors circulated about an actual rampage and numerous injured people, which prompted the police and the city of Wilhelmshaven to immediately investigate. Mayor Carsten Feist and police director Jörg Beensen emphasized the need for close cooperation and efficient handling of the situation in order to inform concerned parents and the public.

While such incidents are extremely rare, the entire situation has once again fueled discussion about school safety. Since 2000, there have been a total of 15 school shootings in Germany. Most of these took place in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the police say they are well prepared for such crisis situations.[WDR]

Prevention and crisis management

According to experts, increasing school and staff safety is essential. There are often warning signs before such terrible acts that can be noticed by peers. A culture of observation and support must be promoted so that potential dangers are identified at an early stage. This also means that every school should have a functioning crisis team that is trained to identify threats and respond appropriately. In some federal states, such as Bavaria and Hamburg, crisis teams are already mandatory, while in North Rhine-Westphalia they are only recommended. Experience shows that a well-functioning crisis team can make a decisive contribution to assessing the seriousness of warning signals and, if necessary, acting quickly.[WDR]

This incident in Wilhelmshaven not only has a direct impact on the school community, but also casts a shadow on the profile of security at educational institutions in Germany. It is to be hoped that the lessons learned from such events will help prevent similar incidents in the future.