Bismarck High School's shelter-in-place order was lifted Wednesday afternoon, September 30, 2026, at 1:55 p.m., concluding a period of heightened alert that Bismarck Public Schools (BPS) has now characterized as the result of a likely "swatting" call. The incident, which saw police presence at the school, began earlier in the afternoon at 1:40 p.m., with authorities responding to a call describing a safety concern on the campus.
Bismarck Public Schools announced the end of the shelter-in-place approximately 15 minutes after it was initiated. Local police had confirmed their presence at the high school as they investigated the nature of the reported safety issue. The swift resolution allowed students and staff to resume normal activities shortly after the order was lifted.
The incident at Bismarck High School did not occur in isolation. Bismarck Public Schools indicated that Mandan High School had also received a "similar safety concern" on Wednesday. This pattern, according to BPS, strongly suggests that both calls were instances of "swatting." BPS further clarified that a "swatting" call is a form of hoax where an individual makes a false report of a serious threat or emergency, specifically designed to provoke a large-scale response from law enforcement agencies.
Such hoax calls, while not posing a genuine threat to life, divert critical public safety resources that could be needed for actual emergencies within Bismarck, Mandan, and the wider Burleigh and Morton counties. The deployment of police to investigate these false alarms places a strain on local agencies and causes significant disruption and anxiety for students, educators, and parents within the affected school communities. The response to these calls underscores the need for rapid assessment and the importance of reporting factual information about such events to avoid spreading misinformation.
As a direct precautionary measure following the events of Wednesday, Bismarck Public Schools confirmed that an "extra police presence" would be maintained at Bismarck High School for the remainder of the school day. This step aims to reassure the school community and ensure a sense of security after the disruptive events. The prompt response by local law enforcement and school officials allowed for the swift resolution of the situation at Bismarck High School, mitigating prolonged disruption while also highlighting the challenge posed by deliberate false alarms to public safety.