“Swatting” Calls at Multiple Schools

Multiple school districts across Kansas including the Salina USD 305 District received false reports of threats, or “swatting” calls on Wednesday.

At least a dozen districts reported the calls. School districts in Lawrence, Topeka, Salina, Manhattan, Junction City, El Dorado, Garden City, Russell and Wichita were among those who received swatting calls yesterday. The swatting calls claimed that an active shooter was at the schools, and authorities determined that the calls were hoaxes.

According to USD 305, they were named in a prank call to police claiming an emergency. The Salina Police Department investigated and quickly determined the call was false.

These type of prank calls are part of a hoax known as “swatting.” Swatting incidents are threats made to schools to trigger a response by police and first responders.

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, they are supporting local, state, and federal authorities in addressing the multiple school swatting calls occurring.