MILWAUKEE — False active shooter threats hit several Wisconsin schools, sparking fear and large police responses.
Wisconsin is not the only state facing a slew of hoax calls. The National Association of School Resource Officers reports there have been more than 100 hoax calls across 28 states and the District of Columbia since Sept. 9.
The first hoax call reported in our area was around 8 a.m. Thursday at Bradford High School in Kenosha. It sent students and teachers into lockdown.
"We were told to go sit down and be quiet because if there was an active shooter they're going to be able to see our phones," said TJ Royce, a senior at Bradford High School.
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Parents rushed to the school after hearing there was a threat. Many lined up to be reunited even after learning it was all a hoax.
"I did hear that it wasn't real but it was pretty terrifying sitting in my car crying," said Bradford High School parent Alyssa Rehm.
The hoax calls were made all over southeast Wisconsin. Port Washington Captain Craig Czarnecki says nearly two dozen of their officers swept Port Washington High School after a caller claimed there was an active shooter in the school.
"They've stressed kids and families. They've taken up law enforcement resources that could be used someplace else because during this time we couldn't take calls efficiently," Czarnecki said.
The executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers says the pattern they have seen in other states involves a person with an accent reading from a script, saying there is an active shooter inside of their school.
"Whether fake or not, at the moment we're receiving a call indicating that people are being injured or killed by gunfire, we have to respond quickly," said executive director Mo Canady.
We asked police if they pinned down where these calls came from. The Sheboygan Police chief would only confirm the calls they received were from outside the country.
Attorney General Josh Kaul says many of the calls are hard to trace.
"Unfortunately, if people are determined to conceal their phone number it makes it hard to track where it's coming from," Kaul said.
He says whoever was behind this will likely face swatting charges. It is a felony that could send someone found guilty to prison for 3.5 years. It also comes with $10,000 in fines. You would also lose your privileged to own a gun for life.
Along with the AG paying attention to this case, the FBI also says they are aware of numerous swatting incidents. They take it very seriously and will work with local, state, and federal law enforcement.
