NYS Police investigating swatting incidents in NY schools; active shooter reports unfounded: officials
NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The New York State Police are investigating a series of swatting incidents involving fake active shooter calls at schools across the state, according to officials.
"All of the reports are unfounded. We are working alongside our federal & local partners to investigate the threats," the NYSP said in a tweet.
Police in Yonkers said they received a call reporting shots fired inside Gorton High School shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday.
“Within one minute the first police officer arrived on scene - officers proceeded to search the school which was placed into lockdown and determined that no shots were fired and the school was safe; the call was a hoax,” police said in an emailed statement. “The lockdown was lifted and the school resumed normal operations. Yonkers Police investigators are working to identify the caller and effect an arrest.”
Police said there were no credible threats to any schools in Yonkers, as of Thursday morning. However, police advised community members to call 914-377-7900 to report suspicious behavior or 911 in an emergency.
Other schools in Westchester and surrounding counties were also targeted by hoax calls, according to Yonkers PD. Pleasantville High School was among those schools, according to a message on the school's website.
"This morning the Pleasantville Police Department received an anonymous call saying that there was an active shooter event in progress at Pleasantville High School," the message read in part. "The building went into lockdown and law enforcement was on-site immediately.
"We believe the anonymous phone call received was a 'swatting call,' a fake 911 call intended to scare people and cause chaos and disruption," the message continued. "Similar fake calls were made to police regarding school districts throughout Westchester."
The string of threats also extended beyond Westchester. A number of Hudson Valley schools were also targeted, according to News12 Westchester.
In upstate New York, Westhill High School near Syracuse was placed on lockdown related to a fake swatting call, Nexstar affiliate WSYR-TV reported. A number of schools in the Albany area were also targeted as well as at least one high school near Buffalo, according to authorities.
All of the threats have been unfounded, officials said.
The swatting incidents appear to be part of a larger nationwide trend, according to authorities. Threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring into schools and colleges across the country for months, raising concerns among law enforcement and elected leaders.
Schools in Pennsylvania were targeted by swatting calls on Wednesday. Computer-generated calls made claims about active shooters, but it was all a hoax. On Tuesday, nearly 30 Massachusetts schools received fake threats.
School officials are already on edge amid a backdrop of deadly school shootings, the latest on Monday at a Christian school in Nashville.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.