For the second time in two days, Cobourg police have locked down a school after receiving false information about a threat.
At around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday (April 14), police received a report of a threat with a weapon at C.R. Gummow Public School in Cobourg.
Officers responded immediately, and the school remained in lockdown as police conducted an investigation, including a search of the building. With no physical injuries reported and after failing to find a weapon, police determined there were no immediate threats to the school and lifted the lockdown.
On Monday morning, officers also responded to a report of threats at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg.
After putting the school in lockdown, police conducted a thorough search of the building, did not locate anything relating to the reported threat, and lifted the lockdown later that morning.
Police believe both incidents are linked and are instances of the criminal act of swatting, where someone reports false or misleading information to police to prompt an emergency response, often to someone’s home, business, or school.
The term “swatting” comes from SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), which are specialized police units trained to respond to high-risk situations like hostage crises or armed standoffs. Swatting emerged in the early 2000s within online communities, especially competitive gaming and internet forums, when disputes escalated into real-world harassment.
Because police treat all reports of threats or potential dangers to community safety seriously and respond accordingly, swatting can potentially lead to property damage, trauma, injury, or even death.
“These calls divert critical police and emergency resources and place officers and community members at unnecessary risk,” states a media release from the Cobourg Police Service. “Anyone found responsible for swatting incidents can face serious criminal charges.”
Police have established that Tuesday’s incident is linked to an overseas phone number, and are working to identify the caller as the investigation into both incidents continues.
