Another round of N.Y. school swatting prompts concern

ELIZABETHTOWN | A number of schools across New York, including Lake Placid, Moriah and nine in Washington County, were again targeted by mass "swatting" threats Tuesday, April 4. Local, state and federal officials are continuing to investigate and condemn the actions. Lake Placid Police said that at about 6:20 a.m. they were notified of a bomb threat to the Lake Placid School District. Students are off for spring break, but staff were in the buildings. "The threat was initially received by email as staff were evacuated from both the Lake Placid Middle/High School and Elementary School before the buildings were secured. The schools were not scheduled to be in session and are on spring break. Assistance was received from New York State Police, who provided a K9 in order to clear all the buildings. The threat was determined not to be credible and authorities were cleared from campus by 10 a.m." Moriah Central School is not yet on break, and administrators notified parents of steps they took to address a bomb threat there. "The district received a bomb threat early this morning. Staff and students were directed to report to their homerooms and classrooms and were evacuated to the buses and moved away from the main building. Staff and students remained on the buses as law enforcement agencies swept the building multiple times," school officials said. "Once the building was cleared, staff and students reentered the building and returned to their normal schedules." Moriah school officials thanked staff and students for staying calm and following all instructions. "We are extremely proud of how our staff and students reacted to this unwanted situation. Parents, thank you so much for allowing us to do our jobs. We truly understand how scared all of you were. Your patience was deeply appreciated." Gov. Kathy Hochul said more than 50 school districts across New York received disturbing "swatting" threats by midday April 4. "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. "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 has been working closely with the State Education Department, county leadership and local school boards to provide support and any necessary resources to address these incidents. My top priority will always be the safety of New Yorkers." Nine school districts in Washington County were among the latest to receive the bogus threats. According to Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey J. Murphy, the Sheriff's Office responded with multiple resources, including three explosive detection K9s and worked closely with school officials. The Washington County Sheriff's Office "with assistance from the New York State Police and other local agencies, worked closely with school officials to conduct a full sweep of the schools as a precaution. Although no credible threats were found, and out of an abundance of caution, the Sheriff's Office kept a presence at the schools throughout the remainder of the day." Schools and daycares in Warren and St. Lawrence counties were also affected April 4. Shortly after the latest swatting attack, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik said, "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." April 4 "swatting" incidents come less than a week after more than 36 schools in New York received similar false threats, including Plattsburgh City School District. Last week, though, calls to local police alleged an armed shooter was in a school building. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and state officials are continuing to investigate the origins of the alarming hoaxes as schools across the state ramp up security and safety efforts.

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Another round of N.Y. school swatting prompts concern

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