The Sentinel-Record reported that a teacher at Gardner Magnet School in Hot Springs, Arkansas, reported seeing three armed men near the building.

>> Read more trending stories

The teacher activated the school's intruder alarm, sending the school into lockdown and leading a SWAT team to surround the school, according to KARK.

The teacher used her Rave Panic Button smartphone app to send the alert.

The "intruders" were actually a pest control team with pellet guns, according to police.

They were in the area responding to a squirrel problem affecting a nearby apartment complex.

Capt. Chris Chapmond, of the Hot Springs Police Department said, "The Panic Button worked as it should and the kids and faculty were secure inside."

Police said the exterminators ended up near the school when they fired a pellet at the squirrel and missed, sending the squirrel running toward the school -- and that's when the teacher mistook the exterminators for armed gunmen.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Ernie Suggs, a reporter at the AJC since 1997, reviews a selection of articles he has contributed to during his time with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as of Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

University of Georgia students are seen entering and leaving the main Library on the Athens campus on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez