We are so thankful the gunshot-like noise heard at Warren Central High School on Thursday turned out to be nothing that was a threat to students or staff.

Still, we applaud the well-planned response to the incident by school officials, law enforcement and emergency personnel.

At about 11 a.m. Thursday, a campus police officer heard a loud noise that sounded like gunfire.

Out of an abundance of caution, Warren Central, as well as Beechwood Elementary School and Hinds Community College, went on lockdown until about 12:30 p.m.

The school, school grounds and adjacent property were searched and no source of the noise was found.

Vicksburg Police, Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and federal law enforcement from the U.S. Park Service assisted the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and school personnel.

Just a few years ago, we would have thought such a reaction to simply hearing a gunshot-like noise was going way overboard. Not anymore.

Gun violence on school campuses has become an almost every week occurrence. The cause of such violence is complex, multi-faceted, as surely is the solution to it. Stopping mass shootings will take more than new gun laws or arming teachers. The solution will require cooperation, compromise and support from a vast number of groups — legislators, law enforcement, educators and parents, among others.

In the meantime, it’s good to know our school district and law enforcement agencies have a plan and are on the ball.

Their work Thursday makes us feel better about our children’s safety.