Fort Madison, Keokuk schools among Iowa high schools “swatted” Tuesday

Fort Madison, IA-  High Schools in Keokuk and Fort Madison were among several Iowa schools that received “swatting” calls Tuesday.

Police in Fort Madison said in a news release that they responded to a call of an active shooter at Fort Madison High School.  A lockdown occurred, and officers searched the building, but nothing unusual was observed on the premises.

Later on, officers learned that other school districts in the area, including Central Lee and Keokuk, received similar calls.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said that the first “swatting” call originated in Clinton County at about 8 AM, and the last call was received in Creston at 10:30 AM.

Officials believe that about 30 calls were received by local law enforcement.

A “swatting” call refers to a false claim intended to trigger a large response from law enforcement or emergency service to a specific location.

The false reports, such as the ones made Tuesday,  commonly consist of claims of serious violent attacks, such as a bomb threat, active shooter, and/or a hostage situation.

Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan K. Bayens said these false reports are a tactic intended to illicit a large-scale law enforcement response. “The design of it is to create confusion and chaos. It’s designed to draw a large law enforcement presence to a school even though there is no active threat. And by all accounts and for all intents and purposes, it appears thus far that is what Iowa experienced today.”

The Iowa Department of Public Safety is working with the FBI to investigate and identify the caller.