Nearly two dozen colleges have fallen victim to “swatting” threats in recent weeks. Public safety officials say they must be treated as real; for students, they often feel that way. There were a few red flags in the 911 call that alerted Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., of a supposed active shooter on the Catholic University of America’s campus. Rather than report a specific location, the caller vaguely mentioned a “computer lab.” And no other calls came in reporting the alleged attack.
Police experts say more training is necessary to help officers respond appropriately in such circumstances, to maintain their guard while deescalating the situation quickly until it is peacefully resolved.
Three hoax phone calls made to Harvard University this week came from an anonymous male caller who said he had taken a female student hostage in a dormitory and had tried to kill her, the university said in an update sent to students Wednesday night.