NY State Police Warn Of School 'Swatting' Incidents Across The State

LONG ISLAND, NY — State police in New York warned Thursday of false reports of active school shooters across the state, with several reported in the Hudson Valley. The warning comes after similar incidents were reported in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Missouri, and elsewhere around the nation.

New York State police tweeted that "swatting" incidents — in which a caller falsely states that there is an active shooter in a school — have occurred across the state.

"All of the reports are unfounded. We are working alongside our federal & local partners to investigate the threats," state police said.

The warning came as some school districts on Long Island boosted security in recent months. Smithtown and South Huntington both said they were adding armed guards at schools.

It also comes days after a school shooting in Nashville — which left six people dead, including three students — and amid a spate of knife attacks at Long Island schools, including Uniondale and Lindenhurst. In Riverhead, a 16- year-old boy was attacked and cut with a knife on his way home from Riverhead High School on Tuesday.

As reported in Ossining-Croton-On-Hudson Patch, bogus threats were called in across the Hudson Valley on Thursday. That came after callers in Pennsylvania on Wednesday claimed there was a shooter in the school and that students were shot, police said.

Beyond this week's incidents, the “swatting" phenomenon has been increasing nationally over the last several months.

According to Education Week, a wave of the calls hit dozens of schools in at least six states in September, and has hit 40 states all told. In California, educators and advocates have been outspoken on the emotional and financial toll the hoaxes taken on children, teachers, and police.

More than 80 swatting reports across the country earlier in the school year were traced to Ethiopia, according to Education Week, citing NPR and Wired magazine.

In New York, the Pleasantville Police Department on Thursday received a call falsely reporting an active shooter at Pleasantville High School, district officials said.

"This resulted in a police response and school lockdown. The Pleasantville Police Department determined the threat was not credible, and everyone was safe. Similar calls were made to school districts in the area with the intent to cause disruption. Police agencies are currently investigating who was responsible for the calls."

It happened in Putnam Valley, too.

"The Sheriff's Office is aware of the recent swatting calls targeting New York State schools, including one in Putnam Valley. The Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the calls, and extra patrols have been dispatched throughout the county to ensure the safety of students and faculty," The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. "Sheriff Kevin McConville stated, 'currently, there is no threat to any of our schools.' All schools are in session, and we are out there to protect the children, teachers and staff of our schools."

Also, police and district officials in Brewster and Yonkers instituted emergency procedures, News 12 Hudson Valley reported.

Around Albany, several districts went on lockdown after reports of violence or potential violence, The Times Union reported.

Ossining was not a target, but its Superintendent Ray Sanchez sent an email to families:

We have been made aware of several apparent "swatting" incidents involving school districts in our region this morning. "Swatting" is a criminal harassment tactic of deceiving an emergency service (via such means as hoaxing an emergency services dispatcher) into sending a police or emergency service response team to another person's address.

There has been absolutely no threat to our schools, "swatting" or otherwise. But, we wanted to make you aware of this situation, and assure you that we are in close communication with PD.