Sarasota County Sheriff’s Deputies Respond To Active Shooter “Swatting” Hoax

“SWATTING” HOAX

It’s called “swatting” and while it’s been an occasional problem around the world, in the past month it’s become a fast-growing trend. On Oct. 11, a school in Sarasota and multiple schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, St. Lucie, and Collier locked down after receiving calls. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called for an investigation after 18 school districts reported hoax 911 calls last Friday. USA TODAY found at least 30 active shooter false alarms and threats made at schools in one week last month and WIRED reported more than 90 false reports of school shooters during three weeks in September.

MESSAGE FROM THE SARASOTA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE 10/12/22

Just after 12:45, we received what detectives feel confident was a “swatting” call to our 911 center. The caller indicated an active shooter at Riverview High School.

Within minutes, just about every local law enforcement officer in Sarasota County responded, including two of our patrol deputies who rammed the main gate to gain entry into the school campus. There must have been at least 50 officers on scene within the first few minutes.

Under the direction of our watch commander, law enforcement officers were directed to clear every classroom and ensure the wellbeing and safety of every staff member and student.

The campus was soon given the all clear.

Although this may have been a “hoax,” it was treated, by all accounts, like a real, active incident, which is why we train as often as we do.

Parents, we feel what you feel as these are our kids too. We hope you can take a deep breath now that your kids are home and safe.

Tomorrow we will share more regarding what goes into our response and training.

Until then, stay safe and take care of one another.

The calls come in. There’s a panicked person breathlessly reporting an armed person or persons in a local school. Sometimes students or even the caller have been shot. Sometimes specific room numbers are named. A name and a return phone number are provided, if the caller doesn’t hang up first.

And then law enforcement mobilizes, schools are locked down, students and teachers hide and parents and guardians worry until police and deputies and SWAT can mobilize to evacuate the building and do a room-by-room search to find… nothing.

That phone number? Usually out-of-state, often registered as belonging to someone with no idea it had been used.

It’s called “swatting” and while it’s been an occasional problem around the world, in the past month it’s become a fast-growing trend. On Oct. 11, a school in Sarasota and multiple schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, St. Lucie, and Collier locked down after receiving calls. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called for an investigation after 18 school districts reported hoax 911 calls last Friday. USA TODAY found at least 30 active shooter false alarms and threats made at schools in one week last month and WIRED reported more than 90 false reports of school shooters during three weeks in September.