Greenfield PD investigates school threat, deems it unfounded
| Published: 03-28-2023 3:33 PM |
GREENFIELD — Police say there is no increased cause for concern following a 911 call Tuesday morning about a gun at an unspecified Greenfield school that was determined to be unfounded.
The incident follows a pattern of similar criminal behavior around New England since the start of the week, including a similar incident Tuesday at Northampton public schools that was determined to be a hoax.
Deputy Police Chief William Gordon explained his department received a call at 11:02 a.m. regarding a threat to a local school, a tactic known as swatting — the act of deceiving an emergency service response team into responding somewhere. He said that earlier in the day, the department received information about swatting incidents in other communities and the call made to Greenfield Police matched this description.
“Nonetheless, our officers responded as if it was a real situation,” Gordon said.
Officers responded to all nine public, private and charter schools in Greenfield to ensure students and staff members were safe. This took roughly 30 minutes. Gordon noted that Greenfield Middle School had conducted a shelter-in-place.
According to a post on the Greenfield Police Department’s Facebook page, officers are working with state and federal authorities to further investigate the incident.
Gordon said he could not confirm whether Monday morning’s fatal school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee may have inspired the swatting incident. The shooter, Audrey Hale, killed three 9-year-old students and three adults The Covenant School, a private Christian school in the Tennessee state capital.
Swatting was reported across Massachusetts — including in Foxborough, Mansfield and Franklin — as well as in 14 Rhode Island school districts and in Missouri.
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