False ‘swatting’ call leads to police response at Wheaton North High School

Wheaton police are investigating an apparent “swatting” hoax that drew a large law enforcement presence Feb. 20 to Wheaton North High School.

Classes were not in session because of Presidents Day, but authorities told residents within a two-block radius of the campus to shelter in place after a 911 caller claimed they were armed with a firearm and explosives and that they were going to walk into Wheaton North with the intent to kill everyone, police said.

Police are investigating the report as a case of “swatting,” a false threat intended to trigger a law enforcement response to a particular location.

Wheaton police and numerous other law enforcement agencies immediately responded to the area to secure the building, evacuate any individuals and conduct a systematic search of the school. Police said they did not find any armed individuals or threats within the building.

“After a thorough investigation and search of the school, the police have determined that the threat was false. In conversations with other local police departments, it appears that similar calls to 911 were placed in other communities in our area,” Wheaton Police Chief Bill Murphy and Superintendent Jeff Schuler wrote in a letter to families in Wheaton Warrenville District 200.

As an added safety measure, police had an increased presence outside of Wheaton schools Feb. 21 when students returned for classes.

“We wholeheartedly believe that it is safe for students and staff to be at school [Feb. 21],” Murphy and Schuler wrote.

The district reiterated that students and employees should always say something if they see anything that doesn’t seem right or safe.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230220/false-swatting-call-leads-to-police-response-at-wheaton-north-high-school