False alarm at North Carolina high school -- reported 'gunshots' were actually noises from malfunctioning heater

There was a reported active shooter situation at a North Carolina high school, although officials now say they believe it was a false alarm caused by a malfunctioning water heater that made a noise that sounded like a gunshot.

Local news station WECT 6 reports that the Pender County Sheriff's Department on Friday morning responded to reports of an active shooter at the Topsail High School in Pender County, North Carolina.

However, after police investigated the scene, they determined there was no active shooter and that the noises heard inside the school were from a water heater that was loudly malfunctioning.

Police tell WECT that there were not many people in the school, as the incident reportedly began before 7 a.m. Students and parents have been gathering at a Lowe’s Foods across the street from the school.