“Swatting” Incident Targets Area Schools

On Tuesday, April 4th, 2023, dozens of schools across the Capital Region received unfounded bomb threats, causing delayed opening and cancelled classes throughout the district. These threats came in at 4:00 AM as anonymous emails sent to the individual schools. These kinds of threats and unfounded reports are referred to as “Swatting”.  Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement, “I want to reassure parents that their children are safe at school. Swatting threats are false and intended to cause panic and scare students, teachers, and families.” 

Officials believe that these threats were most likely computer generated overseas. 

“I have directed the New York State Police to investigate these threats and work closely with all levels of law enforcement to identify the perpetrators, hold them accountable, and restore the sense of safety and security our children deserve. Since the first round of swatting incidents occurred last week, State Police have been working closely with the State Education Department, county leadership and local school boards to provide support and necessary resources to address these incidents.” Governor Hochul said in a statement.

The FBI defines swatting as calling 911 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement – usually a SWAT team, hence the name.

In a statement, Republican Representative Elise Stefanik condemned the incident: “The soulless criminals who committed these shameful and cowardly illegal acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I thank our local and state law enforcement who are working to investigate these threats, so perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.”