Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck was notified on Oct. 16 by the Mount Vernon District Police Captain of an incident at Sandburg Middle School on Fort Hunt Road.
Police responded as if there was an active shooter at the school in response to a swatting call. There was no active threat at the school. Fairfax County Police arrived immediately and the school was placed on lockdown. Officers remained on the scene and identified the students involved in the incident.
Swatting is the deliberate and malicious act of reporting a false crime or emergency to evoke an aggressive response (often a SWAT team) from a law enforcement agency to a target location, sometimes a residence or place of work. Swatting deceives an emergency service provider into sending a police and emergency service response team to an address due to the false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, according to the FBI.
The FBI reports that traditionally, law enforcement has seen swatters directing their actions toward individuals and residences, but increasingly, the FBI report that it sees swatters targeting public places such as airports, schools, and businesses.
These calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims. The callers often tell tales of hostages. “The community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies, and the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves,” the FBI said in a post. If you receive a swatting threat or information that an individual is planning to engage in swatting, report it to local law enforcement and the FBI.
Storck said, “Parents, please talk to your children about the dangers of making prank calls about our schools and other public infrastructure. This is a crime and is subject to prosecution.”