Latest news with #CalvinPolachek
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Shocking lies of gun control activist who claimed he survived school shooting
A gun control activist has sparked outrage in his hometown after lying about surviving a high school shooting which never took place. Calvin Polachek, 23, claimed that his brother, best friend and nine classmates were killed in 2017 during a violent rampage at Dallas High School in rural Pennsylvania. In an emotional speech before the Kentucky State Capitol in February, Polachek recounted the horror of returning to campus a week after the alleged tragedy. He claimed that he was forced to routinely, 'walk past that spot where I saw my best friend and pretend it was all normal'. 'It was not normal,' he told the crowd, adding: '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.' However it has since emerged that the business student lied about his ordeal and that the shooting 'never occurred', per Dallas Township Police Chief Doug Higgins. Polachek's brother Luke is also 'very much alive and well', several Dallas High School alumni confirmed to WNEP. Dallas School District Superintendent Dr. Thomas Duffy, who also refuted Polachek's fabricated tale, told that it is, 'troubling and disappointing that a story like this would be out there, obviously with zero basis'. Polachek's story first surfaced in February at a rally organized by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in support of Kentucky's gun safety education bill. Police say his remarks were shared on social media and quoted in articles published by local news outlets, as well as global platforms including MSN and Yahoo News. Duffy was made aware of the speech late Tuesday, alleging that it 'blew up pretty quickly' in the 'small, tight-knit' Dallas community. 'It wasn't well received by the school district or community,' he told Daily Mail, explaining that locals immediately, 'knew this is not true'. 'The community was outraged. It didn't surprise me, but it was affirming to see how quickly our school district community - including families teachers, administration and our alumni, who are all over the world - really rose to the occasion to defend the school district and underscore their disappointment that this story would be out there and was not aligned with reality,' Duffy said. Police Chief Higgins was also quick to dispel Polachek's lies, saying in a press release Wednesday: 'Let us be absolutely clear: this event never occurred. 'There has never been a school shooting at Dallas High School. Not in 2017, and not at any point in our community's history.' The police chief branded the 'widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy' as both 'reckless' and 'harmful', alleging that it 'fuels unnecessary fear' and 'disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence'. Higgins further said that Polachek's lies are 'deeply troubling' and have caused, 'real harm' to the community. He accused Polachek of undermining the school district's integrity and eroding public trust, adding: 'The people of Dallas Township deserve honesty.' 'We support the mission of those working to make schools safer. That work is vital. But effective advocacy must be built on truth,' Higgins continued. 'Falsely referencing a tragedy that never happened disrespects the memory of actual victims and distracts from meaningful progress.' Polachek is a recent Dallas High School graduate and currently attends the University of Louisville. He was involved in student government and played baseball throughout his high school career. Little is known about his brother's whereabouts, but several classmates confirmed to local media that he is alive, with one even alleging that she received a Facebook friend request from Luke 'less than a year ago'. reached out to both Calvin and Luke Polachek for comment, but neither replied. Sarah Cominsky, a member of Polachek's graduating class, said she is 'embarrassed' to have been his classmate. She slammed Polachek for having the audacity to say something 'so wildly untrue', especially at an event 'where moms of victims' and 'student victims are speaking out'. Courtney Moss, a Dallas High School alum who served on the student council with Polachek, added: 'Why would you lie about something this tragic when there are people that go through this every single day and have to relive this worst thing in their life, every single day?' Superintendent Duffy said the school district was immediately focused on making sure the community, 'knew we were aware that this story was out there and that people knew this was not true'. Although local residents were aware a shooting never occurred, district leadership wanted to make sure that families who were new to the area were aware Polachek has peddled false information. He says the district is continuing its conversation with the community and looking at what next steps may entail. 'Most important, is just affirming this didn't happen,' Duffy added. He also applauded the, 'very supportive school district community and alumni base for very quickly communicating their outrage'. Moms Demand Action, which hosted the February rally, said in a statement to that Polachek is 'not an active volunteer' with the organization. '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,' a spokesperson said. 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers, and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis.' The spokesperson added that Moms Demand Action is 'revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again'.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Expert weighs in on why people lie about tragedy
(WBRE/WYOU) — Calvin Polachek's motive for telling such a lie is unclear at this time, but 28/22 news looked into what could potentially provoke this and other similar behavior. 28/22 News Reporter Gianna Galli sat down with a local psychiatry physician's assistant on Wednesday, who provided insight. The psychiatrist assistant 28/22 News spoke with talked about the behavior of Polachek and others. She says these kinds of lies don't just happen overnight, and it may stem from a deeper sense of something missing inside. Calvin Polacheck recalled a terrifying scene that never occurred. At a televised gun violence survivor rally in Kentucky, the former Dallas High School student spoke about a deadly school shooting at his alma mater. 'There is definitely some deep-seated pathology going on here,' psychiatrist physician's assistant Melanie Priebe said. Children, pot found in car after chase, police say Priebe called such behavior unusual and odd, but could be associated with someone willing to lie to feel wanted. 'These people feel that there is a void in their emotional bucket, like they don't feel paid attention to or appreciated or worthy,' Priebe explained. But Polachek isn't the first to lie about a terrible event. Back in 2020, a Lackawanna County man, Chris Crawford, was charged with misrepresenting himself as a member of the military. He even took it as far as stealing more than $16,000 from a local American Legion post. In the early 2000s, Alicia Head, a Spanish woman from Barcelona, made national headlines when she claimed to be a survivor of the attacks on the World Trade Center. She changed her name, joined a support group, and even said her fiancée died in the attacks. None of this was true. Priebe says this kind of lying behavior can have real effects on those who actually suffered or are recovering from a tragic experience. Officials announce lineup for 2025 Bloomsburg Fair season 'Because of all the trauma, they do all the work, and you hear this kind of story where it's false and fabricated. I think that could be a trigger for these people and make them relive something,' Priebe continued. It can also put unnecessary pressure on police. 'These claims have to be investigated, so you are wasting resources of local law enforcement, state law enforcement,' Priebe added. Priebe adds this kind of behavior doesn't pop out of nowhere. 'Most of these cases may come from that feeling of neglect as a child,' said Priebe. 28/22 News reached out to Calvin Polachek, who is now a grad student in Kentucky, but so far have not heard back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun safety group says Kentucky college student from Pa. lied about surviving high school shooting
Calvin Polachek, center, in jacket and tie, said he survived a mass shooting at his Pennsylvania high school during a gun safety rally in February at the Kentucky Capitol. The shooting never happened, according to organizers, the local school system and police. (Sarah Ladd/ Kentucky Lantern) Everytown for Gun Safety says a man who spoke at a February rally for gun safety it helped organize in Frankfort lied about his experience surviving a school shooting in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The event, which the Lantern and other media outlets covered, happened Feb. 12 in the Kentucky State Capitol. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action hosted a variety of speakers who advocated against gun violence. One of the speakers, Calvin Polachek, said that when he was a high school student in Pennsylvania, he lost people in a school shooting, including claiming that he saw his best friend lying in a pool of blood. Polachek 'is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and 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,' Sarah Boland Heine, the senior director of communications for Everytown, said in a Wednesday statement. The Lantern reached out to Moms Demand Action, which is part of the Everytown gun safety group network, after receiving numerous messages from people who said they were classmates or relatives of Polachek and that the shooting never happened 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true,' Heine said. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Polachek did not immediately respond to Facebook and LinkedIn messages from the Lantern. Polachek was identified as a University of Louisville student at the rally. A UofL spokesperson said Wednesday that he is currently a graduate student. The Dallas School District, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, said in a Wednesday statement that it 'is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017.' 'Thankfully, that never happened,' the school said. 'The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.' The school district did not immediately return a voicemail from the Lantern. Meanwhile, the Dallas Township Police Department said the claims made that day at the rally are 'entirely false.' 'The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful,' the police department said in a news release. '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.' This story may be updated.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun safety group says UofL student lied about surviving high school shooting
Calvin Polachek, center, in jacket and tie, said he survived a mass shooting at his Pennsylvania high school during a gun safety rally in February at the Kentucky Capitol. The shooting never happened, according to organizers, the local school system and police. (Sarah Ladd/ Kentucky Lantern) Everytown for Gun Safety says a man who spoke at a February rally for gun safety it helped organize in Frankfort lied about his experience surviving a school shooting. The event, which the Lantern and other media outlets covered, happened Feb. 12 in the Kentucky State Capitol. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action hosted a variety of speakers who advocated against gun violence. One of the speakers, Calvin Polachek, said that when he was a high school student in Pennsylvania, he lost people in a school shooting, including claiming that he saw his best friend lying in a pool of blood. Polachek 'is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and 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,' Sarah Boland Heine, the senior director of communications for Everytown, said in a Wednesday statement. The Lantern reached out to Moms Demand Action, which is part of the Everytown gun safety group network, after receiving numerous messages from people who said they were classmates or relatives of Polachek and that the shooting never happened 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true,' Heine said. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Polachek did not immediately respond to Facebook and LinkedIn messages from the Lantern. Polachek was identified as a University of Louisville student at the rally. A UofL spokesperson said Wednesday that he is currently a graduate student. The Dallas School District, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, said in a Wednesday statement that it 'is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017.' 'Thankfully, that never happened,' the school said. 'The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.' The school district did not immediately return a voicemail from the Lantern. Meanwhile, the Dallas Township Police Department said the claims made that day at the rally are 'entirely false.' 'The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful,' the police department said in a news release. '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.' This story may be updated.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun safety group says UofL student lied about surviving high school shooting
Calvin Polachek, center, in jacket and tie, said he survived a mass shooting at his Pennsylvania high school during a gun safety rally in February at the Kentucky Capitol. The shooting never happened, according to organizers, the local school system and police. (Sarah Ladd/ Kentucky Lantern) Everytown for Gun Safety says a man who spoke at a February rally for gun safety it helped organize in Frankfort lied about his experience surviving a school shooting. The event, which the Lantern and other media outlets covered, happened Feb. 12 in the Kentucky State Capitol. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action hosted a variety of speakers who advocated against gun violence. One of the speakers, Calvin Polachek, said that when he was a high school student in Pennsylvania, he lost people in a school shooting, including claiming that he saw his best friend lying in a pool of blood. Polachek 'is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and 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,' Sarah Boland Heine, the senior director of communications for Everytown, said in a Wednesday statement. The Lantern reached out to Moms Demand Action, which is part of the Everytown gun safety group network, after receiving numerous messages from people who said they were classmates or relatives of Polachek and that the shooting never happened 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true,' Heine said. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Polachek did not immediately respond to Facebook and LinkedIn messages from the Lantern. Polachek was identified as a University of Louisville student at the rally. A UofL spokesperson said Wednesday that he is currently a graduate student. The Dallas School District, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, said in a Wednesday statement that it 'is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017.' 'Thankfully, that never happened,' the school said. 'The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.' The school district did not immediately return a voicemail from the Lantern. Meanwhile, the Dallas Township Police Department said the claims made that day at the rally are 'entirely false.' 'The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful,' the police department said in a news release. '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.' This story may be updated.
