It’s known as swatting.
The practice of calling in fake bomb threats or active shooters originated online as people watching live streams call the police and report a horrendous crime that occurred at the streamer’s residence just to see it all unfold on camera.
This practice has resulted in several streamers being shot and killed by police, who assumed the worst.
Yesterday morning, it happened to a total of 14 schools in eastern Wisconsin, albeit without the cameras.
At around 9:45 a.m. we started receiving reports of a situation at Roncalli High School.
Manitowoc Police Chief Nick Reimer was on WOMT’s Be My Guest Program at the time and quickly left to go address the situation.
However, he then learned that it was a fake report.
We spoke with LT. Mark Schroeder, who was at Roncalli, and said with situations like this, it’s all hands on deck.
“Initially our job is to stop the threat,” he explained. “In this case, The Manitowoc Police Department. Sheriff’s Department and Metro Drug Unit all responded, so pretty much all law enforcement responded to Roncalli.”
Other schools in the area to be targeted included Green Bay East, and Sheboygan South, but reports also came in as far south as Lakeview Technology Academy in Kenosha.
Innumerous other schools in the area were also put on lockdown as a precaution.
As of now, we have not received word on any arrests being made in the massive swatting case.
Other incidents were reported in Missouri, California, and Illinois.
The FBI has been made aware of the situation and is currently investigating.
