April 4, 2023 |
Photo – Rawlins Middle School – Bigfoot99 file photo
Reports of false active shooters rang out in multiple Wyoming communities on Monday. All turned out to be false, but the calls triggered law enforcement agencies to investigate each one.
Media reports indicate that hoax calls were reported in Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Rock Springs, Buffalo, Sheridan, Cody, Star Valley, Cokeville and Crook County.
Rawlins Public Information Officer Mira Miller reported that such incidents are referred to as “swatting.” In a media release issued at 10:35 Monday morning, Miller said that the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and the Rawlins Police Department would have an increased presence in schools Monday, but the RPD had “not received any calls related to this trending event.”
Police departments around Wyoming reported that Monday’s phone calls were suspicious. The call to Cheyenne police came from an area code outside of Wyoming. Media reports indicated the call to Sheridan police was from an untraceable number and the caller had a foreign accent.
Although Natrona County schools went into lockdown procedures, the district posted this on its website late Monday morning: “From the onset, there appeared to be indications that the originating report was unfounded and that the report was consistent with similar hoax situations that have been occurring nationwide.”
Police at all locations in the state responded with the same urgency and gravity that Wyoming communities expect when active shooter calls are reported.
Monday’s fake calls also occurred in Colorado, where at least a dozen school districts went into lockdown procedures after false alarms were phoned into schools.
Governor Mark Gordon, in a twitter statement, thanked law enforcement, saying such incidents “endanger communities.” The Governor said, “While we are aware that these situations have been occurring throughout the U.S. and are often initiated from outside of the U.S., every false threat must be taken seriously to protect the safety of our children and teachers.”
