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Wave of bomb threats hits schools nationwide

Luke Skywalker

Super Moderator
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Parents line up to reunite with their children at Sacajawea Elementary School. The entire student body of North Middle School, numbering 711 students, was evacuated to Sacajawea following a bomb threat Monday.(Photo: Tribune photo/David Murray)


A wave of threats directed at schools across the nation forced authorities to lock down buildings or evacuate students.
The threats, which appear to be driven by automated calls, have been directed at elementary, middle and high schools in states across at least four<span style="color: Red;">*</span>time zones.
Some districts reported that the calls included a bomb threat while others just described the calls as "threatening."
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The calls were reported in California,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Maryland, Massachusetts,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>New York, Oregon,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Washington and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wisconsin.
Ken Trump, a national school security expert and president of a school security consulting firm, said Monday’s nationwide bomb hoaxes have the hallmarks of swatting.
Swatting, according to Trump, are “highly disruptive” hoax threats that are intended to trigger massive police response. Trump said they are often described as robotic, computer-generated voices that call in threats to schools or police departments.
A single swatting case can impact multiple states, jurisdictions and even travel across international borders, Trump said.
“They tend to come in waves,” he said. “We’ve seen them cross six states in an afternoon.”
Trump said swatting incidents have “skyrocketed” nationwide in the past two years.
“(Swatting) suspects are often more sophisticated,” he said. “They can use Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol) systems or other technologies that can be virtually impossible to track down.”
USA TODAY
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to request for comment, writing, "We are aware of recent bomb threats at various schools in different states, and we remain in touch with our law enforcement partners to provide assistance if needed.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety."
Lee Allinger, superintendent of schools in Appleton, Wis., said he can't remember a string of threats like this<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that seem to be connected. Janet Berry Elementary School in Appleton received an automated threat at about 11:45 a.m.
B9322292733Z.1_20160523203616_000_GRDEFK7S9.1-0.jpg
A K-9 unit from Malmstrom Air Force Base searches for evidence of explosives following a bomb threat at North Middle School on Monday<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Tribune photo/David Murray)

"It's the first one<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that I can recall that's been of this nature, where it's been an automated call or a robo kind of call and that it's been widespread —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>not just next door to us but across the state and the country," he said.
Tom McCarthy, a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction spokesperson, said the department did not know how many schools statewide had received threats.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>He did not comment on the string of bomb hoaxes.
In the United Kingdom, at least 21 schools received bomb threats<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as well, according to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The Independent.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The Daily Mail<span style="color: Red;">*</span>reported<span style="color: Red;">*</span>26 schools were closed.
The USA TODAY NETWORK<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has not confirmed that any of the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>threats are connected.
[h=2]California[/h]
635996415132984539-kids-evacuated.jpg
An unspecified threat prompted authorities to evacuate Cherokee Trail Elementary School in Parker, Colo.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: KUSA-TV, Denver)

[h=2]Colorado[/h][h=2]Delaware[/h]Bomb threats were reported at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>six Delaware schools.
[h=2]Florida[/h][h=2]Iowa[/h][h=2]Maine[/h]


B9320669813Z.1_20160203083144_000_GK4DBDQRC.1-0.jpg
Showell Elementary is one of the four Blue Ribbon schools in Worcester County.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: file photo)

[h=2]Maryland[/h]


[h=2]Massachusetts[/h][h=2]Minnesota[/h]

  • Brooklyn Center Secondary School: The school was temporarily evacuated Monday after receiving a threatening phone call about 12:30 p.m. Police searched the building and students returned.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
  • Forest Lake Elementary School: The school was evacuated around 12:15 p.m. after a bomb threat was made by phone. Students were sent to Forest View Elementary School and were bused home from there.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>

[h=2]Montana[/h]

  • North Middle School (Great Falls): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat. Students were bused to an elementary school, where parents could pick them up.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>

[h=2]New Hampshire[/h][h=2]New York[/h]

  • Sweet Home High School (Amherst): The school was put on lockdown after a threat was phoned into the school around 2:30 p.m. Police searched the school and lifted the lockdown at about 3:30 p.m. when nothing suspicious was found.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>

[h=2]Oregon[/h]

  • Irvington School (Portland): The school was evacuated about noon after receiving a threatening call. The school was searched and nothing was found.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>

[h=2]Pennsylvania<span style="color: Red;">*</span>[/h]


[h=2]Utah[/h]

  • Murray High School: Students were evacuated and sent home for the day after a bomb threat was called into the school around noon.

[h=2]Vermont[/h]


[h=2]Washington[/h][h=2]Wisconsin[/h][h=3]<span style="color: Red;">*</span>[/h]Contributing:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The (London) Independent;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>KGET-TV, Bakersfield, Calif.; BNO News B.V., The Netherlands;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The (Fort Collins, Colo.) Coloradoan; KCNC-TV, Denver; KKTV-TV, Colorado Springs, Colo.; The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal; Treasure Coast Newspapers; WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach, Fla.;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>KCRG-TV9, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; The Des Moines<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Register;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>MaineToday Media; The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>FOX25, Dedham, Mass.; Thomas Willett Elementary School;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sun Post (Osseo, Minn.) Newspapers;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>WMUR-TV, Manchester, N.H.; New Hampshire (Manchester, N.H.) Union Leader; Seacoastonline.com; The (Keene, N.H.) Sentinel;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Times Leader;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>KSTU-FOX<span style="color: Red;">*</span>13, Salt Lake City;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>WPTZ-TV/WNNE-TV, Plattsburgh, N.Y.;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Ocean Beach School District; The (Longview, Wash.) Daily News;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent; The Kenosha (Wis.) News; WMTV-TV, Madison, Wis.; WLUK-TV, Green Bay, Wis.; The Oshkosh (Wis.) Northwestern; The Green Bay (Wis.) Press-Gazette.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Follow Alison Dirr<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on Twitter:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>@AlisonDirr




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