Over 50 'Swatting' Threats Plague NY School Districts Tuesday: Hochul

NEW YORK — More than 50 school districts in New York received "swatting" threats Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, calling it "disturbing."

"Swatting" means a caller falsely states that there is an active shooter in a school, officials have said. Schools on Long Island, in Central New York, the Southern Tier and the North Country received the threats Tuesday, Hochul said.

"I want to reassure parents that their children are safe at school - swatting threats are false and intended to cause panic and scare students, teachers and families," Hochul stated.

The governor directed state police to investigate the threats and work closely with all levels of law enforcement to find the culprits and hold them accountable, Hochul said.

"Since the first round of swatting incidents occurred last week, State Police has been working closely with the State Education Department, county leadership and local school boards to provide support and any necessary resources to address these incidents," Hochul said. "My top priority will always be the safety of New Yorkers."

State police last week warned of false reports of active school shooters across the state, with several reported in the Hudson Valley. That warning came after similar incidents were reported in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Missouri, and elsewhere around the nation.

On Tuesday, East Hampton schools were among those reporting a "swatting" incident. East Hampton Town police said many East End school districts received a threatening email overnight, similar in wording to what other school districts across the state received over the past week.

Law enforcement intelligence deemed the threat to be non-credible and part of a robocall scheme, police said. Out of an "abundance of caution," East Hampton town police deployed teams of officers to each school to thoroughly search and clear each building, authorities said. Uniformed officers have been deployed to the schools and police are monitoring the situation, officials said.

Some school districts on Long Island boosted security in recent months. Smithtown and South Huntington both said they were adding armed guards at schools.