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The sheriff’s office says Pacetti Bay Middle School received the call Tuesday, adding that it was “similar in nature” to the one Landrum Middle received on Monday.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) is investigating a “swatting” call a middle school received Tuesday, a day after the sheriff’s office reported another middle school in the county received one.
In a Facebook post, SJSO says Pacetti Bay Middle School received the call Tuesday morning from a man who said he was at a home near the school, had firearms and explosives, had committed a homicide and made threats against the school.
“The assigned youth resource deputy was onsite and took over communications on the phone with the subject,” the post states. “The school was placed on lock down briefly while SJSO resources flooded the area and investigated the allegations. As always, SJSO and the St. Johns County School District will always respond to threats with as much resources as possible until we are confident students and staff are safe.”
The sheriff’s office says its initial investigation into the incident has revealed that there was “no credible threat,” and was similar to the incident Monday at Landrum Middle School.
State and federal law enforcement agencies will be involved in the investigation, according to SJSO.
What is a ‘swatting’ call?
Swatting is the act of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring upon a SWAT team response to a particular address. It has become especially popular in recent years as people and groups often target celebrities and politicians.
On Monday, SJSO said: “Swatting or hoax calls are challenging to investigate, but not impossible with modern law enforcement technology and we do not take it lightly the emotional toll this takes on parents, staff, and students.”