A former Texas student stands accused of inventing a tragic mass shooting story while advocating for stricter gun control measures at the Kentucky State Capitol.
Calvin Polacheck delivered what appeared to be a heartbreaking personal testimony during a February rally, claiming he survived a 2017 active shooter incident at Dallas High School.
His fabricated account detailed the deaths of his brother, best friend and nine other victims in what he described as a traumatic experience that haunted him for years.
Authorities have now confirmed that no such shooting ever occurred at the school, exposing Polacheck’s claims as completely false.
Polacheck painted a vivid picture of his alleged trauma during his speech at the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America rally.
“A week later, I had to go back to that school, and that was the worst part because you had to walk past that spot where I saw my best friend and pretend it was all normal. It was not normal,” he told the assembled crowd.
The activist claimed he had been discussing the fabricated incident daily for eight years.
“Folks, that’s been eight years, and I’ve been talking about this every single day since then for eight years. Eight years of talking about this, and there’s been nothing that’s changed,” Polacheck stated during his emotional presentation.
Kentucky local news networks initially reported on Polacheck’s remarks, treating his story as legitimate testimony from a school shooting survivor.
Multiple outlets, including WDKY and Kentucky Lantern, published articles featuring his claims about the supposed Dallas High School tragedy.
When the fabrication came to light this week, several news organizations quickly removed their stories from their websites, according to Citizens Voice reporting.
The Dallas school district issued a definitive statement Wednesday completely refuting Polacheck’s allegations about any shooting incident.
“Thankfully, that never happened,” the district declared in their official response to the circulating claims.
The school district’s statement continued: “The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.”
“Our district solicitor is supporting an investigation and communication regarding the circulating clip.”
Dallas Township Police Chief Doug Higgins expressed strong condemnation of Polacheck’s false statements, emphasizing that no shooting has ever occurred at Dallas High School.
“The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful. It fuels unnecessary fear, disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence, and misleads the public with a narrative that has no basis in truth,” Higgins stated.
The police chief described the fabricated claims as deeply troubling, noting their impact on community trust and institutional integrity.
“They undermine the integrity of our school district, erode public trust, and cause real harm to a community that takes great pride in protecting its residents, especially its children,” he continued.
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce has launched an official investigation to determine whether Polacheck’s statements constitute criminal behavior.
Sanguedolce condemned the fabrication in harsh terms, calling it a disgraceful exploitation of real tragedy.
“Lying about being a victim is disgraceful and makes light of the immeasurable grief and pain suffered by true survivors and the victims’ families,” the district attorney said.
Former classmates of Polacheck have publicly challenged his fabricated narrative, with some taking to social media to expose the lies.
Citizens Voice noted that one classmate wrote on Facebook: “Apparently I survived a school shooting. Calvin Polacheck is lying about a school shooting, and it’s disgusting trying to use this fake story to ban guns.”
Even the gun control organization that provided Polacheck a platform has distanced itself from his fabricated testimony.
Sarah Boland Heine, spokesperson for Everytown for Gun Safety, the parent organization of Moms Demand Action, clarified that Polacheck is not an active member of their group.
“We are deeply disappointed that someone would exploit the tragic, lived experience of many to use our platform to share a story that was not true,” Heine stated according to Citizens Voice reporting.
