Juvenile Charged In Council Rock Swatting Incident

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA — A juvenile is being charged in connection with a “swatting” incident that forced Council Rock High School South into a lockdown on Oct. 1.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Northampton Township Police Department announced the action on Friday, but did not release the specific charges or the juvenile's name due to their age.

The incident, which prompted a massive police response and significant disruption across the Council Rock School District, began at 1:42 p.m. on Oct. 1 when Bucks County Emergency Services received an anonymous 911 call alleging "a crisis" at Council Rock South High School. The call immediately triggered a lockdown of the school.

Swatting incidents involve fraudulent emergency calls made to law enforcement, designed to trigger a significant police response to a false crisis.

Northampton Township Police, Council Rock security, and district administration immediately responded to the scene. Newtown Township Police and Lower Southampton Police also provided assistance.

As police established control at Council Rock South, Council Rock North High School also implemented increased security measures and saw a significant police presence as a precaution. After a thorough sweep of the school, police determined that there was no credible threat to students or staff.

This week, following an investigation by the Northampton Township Police, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the juvenile was formally charged in connection with the swatting incident.

District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said that the arrest should send a loud and clear message that those who attempt to disrupt school safety and waste critical emergency resources with false reports will be pursued, arrested, and punished accordingly.

“We live in a society that the fear of a school shooting is very real. It is wholly unacceptable to allow for this type of criminal conduct to go unchecked,” Schorn said. “The response to and the investigation that follows a school swatting criminal incident requires the use of extraordinary resources.”