(KNZA)--Concerns regarding a gunman at the Everest Middle School, Thursday morning, "was [a] simple miscommunication that erred on the side of safety," with the initial investigation determining "that a credible threat was never present."

That word is delivered in a release from Brown County Sheriff John Merchant, who says dispatchers, around 7:50 Thursday morning, "were alerted to a possible person with a gun" at the school and immediately alerted officers, leading to a response from, along with the Sheriff's Office, Horton Police, Kickapoo Police, and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

According to Merchant, "school personnel, students, and staff acted very quickly and appropriately per protocol to make sure all were safe and secure."