COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A widespread email, intended to be seen as a threat, has schools across Montgomery County increasing security. But another, separate emailed threat has triggered early-dismissal protocols in Perkiomen Valley schools and offices in Collegeville.
In reference to the first threatening email, a spokesman with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department said the bomb squad was notified and quickly determined it was a hoax known as “swatting” — a harassment technique intended to generate a law enforcement response under false pretenses. Dozens of school districts notified parents of the assessment.
But Perkiomen Valley Superintendent Barb Russell said they got a different email, which was not connected to the swatting. “It did not have some of the common terminology or address characteristics that the swatting emails had.”
She says it was of concern because it made specific threats, particularly to the high school and district offices.
“We therefore reviewed it and took it as a threat we needed to respond to. And [out of] an abundance of caution, we opted to dismiss our students early,” Russell said.
The director of security for Perkiomen Valley schools, Dean Miller, says law enforcement is tracking that email’s credibility — “because it was very different than what most districts had received. And until that part is resolved, we can't say for sure what it's related to, if we'll even ever know what it's related to."
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania State Police are sweeping the high school and district offices. And officials say social media rumors of a gun or guns at any PV schools are unfounded.
Officials say making false threats is a pretty serious crime, and anyone behind the threat will be prosecuted. Swatters often consider it to be a prank, but the resulting confusion can be used to spread misinformation, and the misallocation of first responders can diminish the ability to respond to a real emergency.
They also say if anyone sees or hears anything suspicious or concerning, they should not hesitate to call 911.