(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — There were nearly two dozen so-called “swatting calls” involving false reports of active shooters at schools throughout Illinois Wednesday.
The scenes were the same throughout the state: Police responded in great numbers under the belief there was an active shooter at a school.
In Chicago, it happened at Whitney Young Magnet High School. In Rockford, a false active shooter report caused Rockford East High School to cancel classes. Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd said they have to take such calls seriously.
“If there is a threat there, we don’t know what [officers] could be walking into, so we have to follow protocol,” Redd said. “It is a great waste of resources.”
Rockford Public Schools Supt. Ehren Jarret said he was “absolutely saddened” over how the fake shooting reports gave families, students and staff a “real sense of concern.”
“That diverts resources away from our entire community, and that is not OK,” Jarret said. “Number Two: The trauma that it causes to our family and our students, and Number Three: We hate to see the academic day disrupted.”
The incidents occurred on the day that students were taking the SATs.
At least one officer was injured responding to a school where there was a false report of an active shooter.
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