Ridgewood, NJ
News
'SWATTED' AGAIN: Bogus Gun Call Empties Ridgewood HS 'SWATTED' AGAIN: Bogus Gun Call Empties Ridgewood HS
'Swatted' Again: Bogus Gun Call Empties Ridgewood HS What proved to be a prank call about someone with a gun at Ridgewood High School triggered an emergency response on Monday. The school was cleared but everyone was allowed to return a short time after the late-morning "swatting" call on April 17 brought a number of tactical officers from the village and the Bergen County Regional SWAT team. Swatting is more than a nuisance. It unnecessarily causes anxiety and fear -- which, of course, is usually the intent. A Bergen County Regional SWAT Team responded to Ridgewood High School on Monday, April 17.Kyle Mazza/UNF News for DAILY VOICE It a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Albany, NY
News
Shooting Hoax: These Capital Region Schools Targeted By Statewide ‘Swatting’ Prank Shooting Hoax: These Capital Region Schools Targeted By Statewide ‘Swatting’ Prank
Shooting Hoax: These Capital Region Schools Targeted By Statewide ‘Swatting’ Prank Federal investigators are probing a statewide “swatting” prank that sent schools across New York into lockdown amid fears of a mass shooting. The threatening phone calls started pouring in Thursday morning, March 30, falsely claiming there was an active shooter at various schools across the state, according to New York State Police. The State Police is aware of swatting incidents that have occurred across the state, in which a caller states that there is an active shooter in a school. All of the reports are unfounded. We are working alongside our federal & local partners to investig…

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by Michael Mashburn
Albany, NY
Schools
School Swatting Incidents Occurring Across NY, State Police Say School Swatting Incidents Occurring Across NY, State Police Say
School Swatting Incidents Occurring Across NY, State Police Say Authorities are investigating numerous incidents of schools in New York state receiving swatting calls claiming there is an active shooter in the building, state police said.  The threatening calls were received by schools on Thursday morning, March 30, and have all been found to be false, state police announced.  The State Police is aware of swatting incidents that have occurred across the state, in which a caller states that there is an active shooter in a school. All of the reports are unfounded. We are working alongside our federal & local partners to investigate the threats. pi…

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by Ben Crnic
Chambersburg, PA
Schools
Statement On 'Computer Generated Swatting' After Schools Across PA Evacuated: State Police Statement On 'Computer Generated Swatting' After Schools Across PA Evacuated: State Police
Statement On 'Computer Generated Swatting' After Schools Across PA Evacuated: State Police Pennslyvania state police have released a statement after a large number of local and state police were called to schools—primarily Catholic schools, across Pennsylvania on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.  At some schools students and staff were evacuated, and police surrounded the buildings with gun drawn, like at Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic high schools. Police were also called— although no guns were drawn— to schools in Bishop Carroll, Altoona Area, Forest Hills and Bellefonte. Forest Hills School officials released the following statement: "Due to suspicious activity throughout …

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by Jillian Pikora
Springfield, MA
Police & Fire
West Springfield High Off Lockdown After Hoax Threat Made Against School: Police West Springfield High Off Lockdown After Hoax Threat Made Against School: Police
West Springfield High Off Lockdown After Hoax Threat Made Against School: Police West Springfield High was momentarily put on lockdown Friday, March 3, after someone called in a fake threat about the Hampden County school, officials said. The hoax is the last in a worrying and growing trend called "swatting." West Springfield police said someone called the department's non-emergency line just after 8:20 a.m. to make the threat. Officers responded to the high school within a minute and worked with administrators to begin safety protocols, which included a lockdown.  Police swept the school for threats but found nothing, and they determined the call was fake. School …

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by Josh Lanier
Reading, PA
Police & Fire
Prank Caller Sends SWAT Team To Reading Wendy's Prank Caller Sends SWAT Team To Reading Wendy's
Prank Caller Sends SWAT Team To Reading Wendy's Police in Berks County left Wendy's empty-handed this weekend.  A SWAT team in Reading was deployed to the fast food restaurant at 930 Lancaster Avenue at about 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25, the department said.  Emergency dispatchers had been told that a suspect was "hiding in a dumpster, possibly armed," police said. But when officers searched the bin, they said they found nothing of note.  "All information leads to a swatting call originating from an internet number that originated out of state," Reading police explained. No injuries were reported.  "Swat…

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by Mac Bullock
Dorchester, MA
Schools
'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns 'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns
'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns Multiple Massachusetts schools have been forced into lockdowns because of fake gun and bomb threats, otherwise known as "swatting" incidents, over the past four days.  "Swatting" is defined as "the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address," according to Oxford Language.  These incidents have seen an uptick across the Commonwealth in the wake of the deadly shooting at the Michigan State University on Monday, Feb. 13 in which three students perished. T…

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by David Cifarelli
Lynn, MA
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Lockdown Prompted After Gunfire Reported At Amesbury High School: Police UPDATE: Lockdown Prompted After Gunfire Reported At Amesbury High School: Police
Update: Lockdown Prompted After Gunfire Reported At Amesbury High School: Police Police received a report of gunfire at Amesbury High School and locked the school down, officials say.  Officers were dispatched to the high school on Highland Street to lock the school down around 11:45 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 13 after receiving a call in which a male voice said he had a firearm near the school, according to the Amesbury Police Department. The sound of gunshots could be heard in the background of the call.  Police followed procedure and responded with a large number of police and emergency units, locking the school down, and activating secure mode fore all other Amesbury sch…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Lynn, MA
Police & Fire
Hoax Swatting Call Sends At Least 6 Police Departments To Groveland Home Hoax Swatting Call Sends At Least 6 Police Departments To Groveland Home
Hoax Swatting Call Sends At Least 6 Police Departments To Groveland Home A phony call confessing to a violent act, and threatening to harm first responders, led to the unnecessary evacuation of multiple Groveland residences and the gathering of multiple police departments, officials say.  The person behind the fake 911 call, made on Wednesday, Feb 1 around 8:45 p.m., said that he was on Marjorie Street and confessed to both hurting someone and that he would hurt first responders, according to the Groveland Police Department.  In accordance with established procedures, police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical responders were dispatched to the alleged…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Pascack Valley, NJ
News
Bogus Shooting Call Brings Police To Catholic Grammar School In Hillsdale Bogus Shooting Call Brings Police To Catholic Grammar School In Hillsdale
Bogus Shooting Call Brings Police To Catholic Grammar School In Hillsdale A bogus call of a shooting brought police to a Catholic grammar school in Bergen County. The "swatter" who made the false claim drew an immediate response to the preK3-8 St. John's Academy by police in Hillsdale mid-Monday evening (Jan. 23). They had help from, among others, their colleagues neighboring Park Ridge and River Vale, as well as the Bergen County Sheriff's Office.  Hillsdale Police Chief Robert Fracaviglia confirmed the call as swatting. An investigation was launched. Swatting exacts a toll on innocent residents, which is usually the intent. Often public figures and celeb…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park, NJ
News
SWATTING: Bogus Call Brings Tactical Team To Elmwood Park Neighborhood SWATTING: Bogus Call Brings Tactical Team To Elmwood Park Neighborhood
Swatting: Bogus Call Brings Tactical Team To Elmwood Park Neighborhood A "swatting" call brought a tactical unit to an Elmwood Park neighborhood and forced the evacuation of a trio of homes. A Bergen County Regional SWAT team was summoned after police received a call of an active shooter inside a Miller Avenue duplex off Speidel Avenue around 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. The unit quickly cleared the house after police established a perimeter and evacuated duplexes on either side. Swatting exacts a toll on innocent residents, which is usually the intent. Often public figures and celebrities are the targets. Sometimes it's more an effort to tie up law enforcement,…

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by Jerry DeMarco
West Chester, PA
Police & Fire
Chesco Home Targeted In Christmas Day 'SWATTING' Prank, Cops Say Chesco Home Targeted In Christmas Day 'SWATTING' Prank, Cops Say
Chesco Home Targeted In Christmas Day 'Swatting' Prank, Cops Say Police descended on a home in Chester County on Christmas Day after a "prankster" called in false reports of a shooting, authorities say.  North Coventry Township Police and "numerous" other agencies rushed to the home on the 100 block of Blossom Way at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 25, based on the phony reports, the department said in a statement. Officials explained there was a "heavy police presence" on the block that "quickly reduced" when investigators determined they had been duped.  Police described it as an instance of "swatting," where a prank caller reports a serious crime in…

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by Mac Bullock