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Palm Beach State College: Lockdown report sparks shooting fears at S Congress Avenue, Lake Worth; first details
Reports of a lockdown at Palm Beach State College in Florida prompted fears of a shooting having taken place there.
Reports of a lockdown at Palm Beach State College at 4200 S Congress Ave, Lake Worth Beach in Florida on Tuesday prompted fears of a shooting. These reports did the rounds on social media.
“PBSC Lockdown: Police at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth Beach, FL,” a person wrote on Facebook. Similar reports circulated on X as well. “PBSC Lockdown: Shooting at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth Beach, FL,” a report on X read. However, these were not confirmed either by PBSC, where no alerts could be seen on social media pages or the official website. Local police did not address these reports either.
A Florida native also asked on Facebook “So I just heard that my former college, Palm Beach State College, was on lockdown? Anyone know any updates?”. Another person asked “We are in total lockdown at PBSC. Anyone with any info?”.
People shared screenshots of the situation status on X, based on alerts they'd received. One person shared the photo of the shelter in place alert, while another shared an update which noted that the alert had been lifted.
“All clear now apparently,” the person wrote, sharing a screenshot of the message. It read “Pursuant to Law Enforcement instructions, the Lake Worth Lock Down is lifted, ALL CLEAR, please resume normal activities. Feb 17 2026 2:37 pm.”
However, current information on the situation remains scarce and it is not known if there were any injuries. No information on a possible suspect is know at this time either.
What happened at PBSC? Further details emerge
A Palm Beach resident wrote on Facebook “Total lockdown at PBSC someone pulled out a gun on campus now I’m hiding in a closet with 8 students,” adding “LORD COVER US.”
In a further update they added “All I heard was running and screaming and announcements to lock down! I’m shakinggggg!”. They also shared “the lockdown has been lifted!” Providing more details about what went down, they alleged “There was a fight and the boy ran back to his car to get his gun said he was gone air it out & when the other students saw the gun they ran yeah it was alottttttt! BUT NO ONE WAS HURT! By Gods grace everyone is okay.” HT.com could not independently verify these claims.
Others reacted to the reports of the lockdown and offered prayers. “Praying for you ! Are you at the lake worth campus ? My brother said he was able to get out before they locked it down. Someone came in his class and yelled that they saw someone with a gun,” one person wrote.
Another added “praying you and everyone else who is on campus get out safely.” Meanwhile, some people's concerns were evident as their loved ones go to study there. “My son goes there as well and is trying to figure out what’s going on,” a parent had written on X.
