Twenty-one Vermont schools were subjected to “swatting” phone calls falsely reporting active shooters, authorities said today. Most of the calls came to police dispatchers, who then responded to the perceived active shooter threat.
Public Safety Commissioner Jen Morrison said the calls were “very similar messages, possibly technologically created….It could be a robo call, you probably get them at your house.” More schools may be reporting similar incidents as the day progresses, she said.
Police determined within minutes that the calls were false ‘swatting’ calls.
Some of the calls mentioned two so-called actual shootings, others referenced only active shooters.
Multiple law enforcement agencies across Vermont this morning receiving calls reporting shootings at local schools, state police said. At this time, none of these threats is believed to be credible, and the incidents appear to be hoaxes.
The calls have been reported to originate from VOIP phone numbers or potentially spoofed 802 numbers and appear to be associated with ongoing nationwide hoax phone threats of school shootings, bomb threats, and other violent events that have proved to be unfounded.
There is no known connection with the bomb threat at the Berlin Wal-Mart yesterday. There was no racial aspect to the calls, police said.