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Buckeye Reporter

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Man's false claim of surviving school shooting draws backlash

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Dean Rieck, Executive Director at Buckeye Firearms Association | LinkedIn

Dean Rieck, Executive Director at Buckeye Firearms Association | LinkedIn

Calvin Polachek has been at the center of controversy after claiming to have survived a school shooting in Dallas, Pennsylvania, that reportedly never happened. According to his former classmates and local authorities, the incident described by Polachek is entirely fabricated.

Sarah Cominsky, an alumna of Dallas High School, stated unequivocally, “There was never a school shooting.” This sentiment was echoed by four other classmates who confirmed that the school district had not experienced any such event. Furthermore, they noted that Polachek’s brother is alive and well.

Dallas School Superintendent Thomas Duffy expressed surprise and concern over Polachek’s statements. He said, “It’s my 26th year in Dallas, and I could tell you that, thankfully, we’ve never had an event like that in our school district.”

Dallas Police Chief Doug Higgins also refuted Polachek's claims on social media: “There has never been a school shooting at Dallas High School,” he posted on Facebook. The police department emphasized the false nature of these claims in their press release, highlighting the harm caused by spreading untrue narratives about tragedies.

Polachek originally shared his story at an anti-gun rally in Kentucky three months ago. The rally was organized by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action. His claims were picked up by various media outlets and spread nationally.

In response to these developments, Sarah Boland Heine from Everytown stated her disappointment: “Polachek is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action... We are deeply disappointed.”

Since his story unraveled, Polachek has not responded to media inquiries nor has he been reachable for comment.

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