Many public schools in the United States have recently been on alert, and even shut down, due to swatting threats made by students. These threats are frequently posted on Snapchat and Tiktok which causes these threats to become “viral” and gain the attention of school administrators and law enforcement across the country. Connecticut schools have been recently affected by this problem, with Newtown Public Schools receiving two such threats during the week of September 23.
Swatting refers to a “prank” call to police or an emergency service response team triggered by a false reporting of a serious situation, such as a bomb threat or potential school shooting. The term swatting comes from the law enforcement unit SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), a specialized police unit in the United States. False swatting reports are considered a criminal offense and often result in punishment including fines and imprisonment.
The Newtown Police Department received a swatting call on September 24 regarding Newtown High School at the time of dismissal. There was already a police presence at NHS during the time of the call and other police officers were immediately dispatched. There was no risk to any staff or students because it was determined that the call was only a prank.
Superintendent of Newtown Public Schools Anne Uberti emailed parents and staff discussing the safety precautions the district took.
“Newtown Police were already at NHS and additional officers were dispatched immediately. It was quickly verified that this was a prank call, which was also received in other towns. At no time were staff or students in any danger. Police remained at NHS through dismissal and security will remain on campus into the evening.”
Connecticut towns including Monroe, Bridgeport, and Ansonia have received swatting calls since the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, causing them to be more vigilant and increase their police presence in schools as more of a precaution. Some schools have been dismissed early and classes have been canceled due to past threats.
Ansonia Public Schools were canceled September 19 after a thirteen year old student made a fake call. She is now facing multiple charges on a first degree of threatening and a second degree breach of peace. She posted a threatening post to social media which soon led to the police hearing about it. The buses in Ansonia turned around the morning of the threat.
Even though everyone on the Newtown High School campus and other Connecticut Public School campuses remained safe during the swatting incidents, this does not diminish the impact that these swatting cases have on the emotional well-being of the students and staff, and what's to come in the future.
As many of these towns in Connecticut have been alerted by swatting calls, the administrators of Monroe Public Schools have been creating half days and even shutting down schools for the day after they get the call.
Masuk High School in Monroe had to go into lock down for the entire day on Friday, September 20 due to repetitive calls made by a Masuk student.
As these swatting calls have grown more common throughout school districts, shutting down schools for the day is sometimes the only option for safety of the students and staff.
Students and staff have grown cautious after hearing these threats being made to towns around Newtown.
“Hearing about this, it’s very scary, and I don’t want to go to school everyday when the threats are going around. I wouldn’t go back to school if we did get a swatting threat, knowing that something actually bad could happen again or at any time during the day,” NHS freshman Lyla Bshara said.
Newtown High School Principal Dr. Kimberly Longobucco sent out an email to parents and guardians on September 24th in which she emphasized the importance of students being responsible on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
Longobucco encouraged parents to speak with students about the dangerous implications of sharing screenshots and posting stories about swatting incidents. because sharing and posting these stories only causes needless anxiety and weakens and lengthens police investigations. She asked that if students see something that is concerning that they tell an adult that they can trust in school, and if something happens outside of school that they contact the police.
“We are fortunate to have a close relationship with the NPD who has expertise in handling these types of matters. I am confident in relying on their recommendations regarding the safety of our staff and students,” Longobucco said.
Komentáře