![]() ![]() “You have a lot of rapid response, anxiety and messages going out, people scrambling to find their kids,” said Amy Klinger, co-founder of the Educator’s School Safety Network, a safety consulting organization. While school threats and false alarms often fail to make national news if they don’t result in actual violence, they can be a huge deal to school administrators, who must help students and families regain a sense of normalcy after hours of thinking they may be experiencing an unthinkable event. In a 2017 case where a Wichita, Kan., police officer shot and killed an innocent man as the result of a swatting call, the caller also faced charges of manslaughter, a charge prosecutors later dropped as part of a plea agreement. In the past, people who’ve used false emergency calls to summon police to other settings, like homes, have been charged with crimes like making false reports. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention.” “The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk,” the agency said in a statement to Education Week. ![]() The surge in swatting calls come alongside a wave of more typical events that spark school lockdowns: students issuing threats as pranks, reports of suspicious people near school buildings, and other false alarms. And, at first, it felt like it could be a real attack, he said. It took about an hour before students could leave. Lavier, who had never had a lockdown at his school for any reason but a practice drill, ordered students to remain in their classrooms while police from multiple local agencies swept hallways. All he found were students startled by his sudden entry. During last period Monday, a police officer ran into the building to respond to a specific classroom, which a caller connected to a shooting in the school. His school was disrupted by just such a false report this week. “I don’t know who would do that to a school.” “There are some kind of sick people out there,” said Andrew Lavier, the principal of Alamosa high school in Alamosa, Colo. Granting unauthorized access to a school building is treated as a serious offense with disciplinary consequences.The FBI has labeled the practice “swatting,” a term that refers to filing a false report with the aim of stoking chaos and provoking a large law enforcement response. “Preventing unauthorized access to your school building is essential to the safety and security of students and staff. “Weapons of any kind are not permitted inside any of the Waterbury Public Schools,” Michelis said. Waterbury police responded to the scene and is currently investigating. Michelis said no weapon was found, and all students and staff are safe. Kennedy High School immediately activated a lockdown and West Side Middle School activated a shelter-in-place due to the building’s proximity. It was reported to administration that the student from Wilby was in possession of a weapon. (WTNH) - A high school in Waterbury went into lockdown and a middle school sheltered-in-place after an outside student gained access to the high school.Īccording to Waterbury Public Schools’ Director of Communications Belen Michelis, a student at Kennedy High School allowed a student from Wibly High School access to their school building. ![]()
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