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Charles City schools one of many around the state involved in hoax threat ‘swatting’ calls

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City School District was one of about 30 schools in the state involved in apparent “swatting calls” Tuesday morning, where a fictitious threat or report of a shooting was called in.

The Charles City Police Department and Floyd County Sheriff’s Office responded to the high school and middle school after receiving a call of a threat at the schools, the Police Department posted on its social media page.

“It was discovered to be a false call which is being made around the entire state to other school districts. There was no danger to staff or children. Thank you to the incredible staff at both schools for their assistance,” the CCPD report said.

Charles City Police Chief Hugh Anderson told the Press the county dispatch center received a call at around 9 a.m. with a Caller ID location of Hawaii. Dispatch first contacted the Charles City Police because the school is in their jurisdiction, then the county Sheriff’s Office was contacted and both responded.

Anderson said even with a Hawaii location showing up on the Caller ID they had to treat it seriously because someone could have just moved from Hawaii or be visiting here from Hawaii and their cellphone would show a Hawaii number.

“They advised us that there’s four students injured by gunshot in a bathroom in the high school,” he said, adding that apparently similar calls went around the state from the same individual.

“We did not do a lockdown, due to the nature of the threat,” Anderson said. “That was the school’s decision. Before this we had received that at least one other jurisdiction had received a similar call.”

He said that law enforcement did go through the entire buildings.

Anderson said he didn’t want to suggest that a call like this is a good thing, but it did show that the procedures that the school district and law enforcement have in place worked.

“It was good to test the system,” he said.

Dr. Anne Lundquist, Charles City superintendent of schools, posted this letter to school district families:

“On Tuesday, many school districts in Iowa have been affected by false reports of an active shooter on their campuses. From what we understand, local police departments have received internet-based phone calls with these threats, which turn out to be unsubstantiated. It appears to be part of a hoax known as ‘swatting.’

“Ours was one of the school districts that was affected. After receiving a ‘robocall,’ local law enforcement and administration conducted an investigation of our secondary buildings. Police do not believe there to be a credible threat to school safety at this time,” she wrote.

“We would like to continue to encourage our students and school community to report anything that could constitute a threat to school safety. As always, we work closely with local law enforcement to assist in these situations.

“If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention to this important update,” Lundquist wrote.

“Swatting” is a term that describes making a hoax emergency call to bring law enforcement – including SWAT (special weapons and tactics) teams – to a residence or other location. It is often done as a means of retaliation, harassment or as a form of cyberbullying.

Thirty Iowa schools reported being involved in phone call reports of threats or shootings, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety. No legitimate threats were discovered, it said.

Other area schools were also involved. The Mason City Police Department posted this statement:

“This morning dispatch received a call reporting of a shooting at the MCHS (Mason City High School). MCPD arrived and found that school was operating normally – no one was injured. Schools across Iowa received similar calls this morning. We have referred this to our LE (law enforcement) partners at the state level.”

The Clear Lake Police Department issued this statement:

“This morning we received one phone call reporting a shooting at the high school. While officers were en route, the high school went on lockdown. It was determined the call was false. This type of call, known as swatting, was reported to be occurring throughout the state today. No one was injured and officers and school staff checked the area.”

Stephan Bayens, the commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said the department had received reports from about 30 school districts across the state.

Bayens happened to be at a press conference Tuesday morning with Gov. Kim Reynolds that had initially been planned to launch a smartphone app called “Safe+Sound” that students and teachers would be able to use to anonymously report potential threats they observe at schools.

At the press conference, Reynolds said she was notified of the incidents around the state when she arrived at her office Tuesday morning.

“It’s what no governor, it’s what no parent or anybody, superintendent, teachers, kids, want to hear. We’re grateful, just so thankful that that’s what it was,” she said, referring to the fact that apparently all the calls were hoaxes.

Bayens said the same person or persons may be behind the calls, based on the voice used, and they may have even originated outside the United States.

Other states have also dealt with similar threats in recent months, he said, including Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado.

Reynolds said the threats demonstrate the need “to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to give these schools and school districts, the administrators and the teachers and the kids the knowledge to report or respond and get in front of it.”

There was no indication whether the planned press conference to launch the Safe+Sound app was related to the Iowa threat calls, or was only a coincidence.

Bayens said the Iowa Department of Public Safety was working with local, federal and other state law enforcement departments to investigate the calls.

According to Bayens’ department, these Iowa schools or areas received hoax calls Tuesday:

  • Boone
  • Cedar Rapids
  • Cerro Gordo County
  • Charles City
  • Clear Lake
  • Clinton
  • Creston
  • Davenport
  • Decorah
  • Des Moines
  • Iowa City (multiple schools)
  • Lee County (multiple schools)
  • Marshalltown
  • Mason City
  • Monona
  • Muscatine
  • Nevada
  • North Liberty
  • Oskaloosa
  • Ottumwa
  • Story County
  • Waterloo

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