A juvenile in Bucks County has been charged with making a fake emergency call about a threat at Council Rock High School South in October, leading to a 34-minute lockdown and a heavy police response. The incident is part of a growing trend of "swatting" – hoax reports intended to create a large-scale emergency response.
According to authorities, the juvenile made the call on October 1, prompting an immediate lockdown at the school and sending police from multiple departments scrambling to investigate. However, after a thorough sweep of the building, it was determined that there was no credible threat, and students were eventually sent home.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said that allowing such conduct to go unchecked is "unacceptable," particularly in light of the fear of school shootings being all too real for many people. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact that swatting can have on communities.
This latest case is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger wave of swatting incidents targeting US high schools and colleges in recent months. Villanova University was hit with two separate swatting calls, including one during orientation day, which sent panic across campus and left students and parents sheltered in buildings for hours.
Experts believe that the swatting calls are linked to an online group called Purgatory, which allegedly carries out false shooter reports and bomb scares in exchange for money. However, the FBI declined to comment on Purgatory's alleged involvement.
The lack of laws specific to swatting has left prosecutors struggling to hold perpetrators accountable. Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced bills aimed at addressing this issue, including one that would make swatting a felony offense and another that would add a sentencing enhancement for terroristic threats against schools.
As the number of swatting incidents continues to rise, authorities are urging the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The DA's office is reminding that making false emergency calls can have severe consequences and is not acceptable behavior.
According to authorities, the juvenile made the call on October 1, prompting an immediate lockdown at the school and sending police from multiple departments scrambling to investigate. However, after a thorough sweep of the building, it was determined that there was no credible threat, and students were eventually sent home.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said that allowing such conduct to go unchecked is "unacceptable," particularly in light of the fear of school shootings being all too real for many people. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact that swatting can have on communities.
This latest case is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger wave of swatting incidents targeting US high schools and colleges in recent months. Villanova University was hit with two separate swatting calls, including one during orientation day, which sent panic across campus and left students and parents sheltered in buildings for hours.
Experts believe that the swatting calls are linked to an online group called Purgatory, which allegedly carries out false shooter reports and bomb scares in exchange for money. However, the FBI declined to comment on Purgatory's alleged involvement.
The lack of laws specific to swatting has left prosecutors struggling to hold perpetrators accountable. Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced bills aimed at addressing this issue, including one that would make swatting a felony offense and another that would add a sentencing enhancement for terroristic threats against schools.
As the number of swatting incidents continues to rise, authorities are urging the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The DA's office is reminding that making false emergency calls can have severe consequences and is not acceptable behavior.
I remember back in the day when my friend's brother did something similar and it was like, a week long lockdown. Thankfully it wasn't as serious but still it was so stressful. and now with swatting getting more and more popular it's just getting worse. I don't get why they do this stuff anyway. and its not like you can just make up some random threat and expect to get away with it... i mean what if someone actually believed it? 
. This swatting thingy is just crazy! I mean, what if they actually thought there was a shooter at school? That would've been super scary for everyone 
. It's like, can't we just leave each other alone online? 
. The authorities need to step in and make some laws about this stuff ASAP 
. 34 minutes locked down because of a prank call is just ridiculous 
. I think it's time for us all to be more mindful of what we're posting online, especially if it could put others at risk 
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This kid's got some nerve 
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. A 34-minute lockdown? That's insane! And the worst part is that these hoax calls can have such a huge impact on communities and schools. We need to do something about this ASAP 
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. And I think it's cool that authorities are working together to prevent these incidents and get the word out to the public.
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. The lack of laws on swatting is ridiculous, but at least they're trying to make changes 
. It's time to take this seriously and stop glorifying these fake emergencies 
. Schools should be able to focus on education without having to deal with this nonsense