The call initially came into Mitchell dispatch at about 9:21 a.m. Emergency personnel converged at Mitchell High School at about 9:23 a.m., about 2 minutes after dispatch received the call. The phone call claimed multiple students were shot. By 9:28 a.m., officers determined the call was a hoax.
Considering it’s a violation for engineers to practice in South Dakota without proper licensure, Johnston, an engineer not licensed in the state, said he was presenting his assessment on the MHS building during Thursday’s meeting as a “Joe Blow citizen” and not an engineer.