Newport Hospital Targeted By Swatters Calling In Bomb Threat: Cops

A Rhode Island State Police Bomb detection dog searched the hospital, police said.

By Joseph Hosey, Patch Staff

May 17, 2026 11:13 am EDT

NEWPORT, RI — Newport Hospital was targeted by swatters who called in bomb threat Sunday morning, police said.

Officers were sent to the hospital to investigate the threat shortly after 7 a.m., the Newport Police Department said in a media release.

"Newport Police Officers secured the area and conducted a thorough investigation with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police bomb detection K-9 unit," the release said.

The search turned up no explosive devices, according to the release.

"It was ultimately determined that there was no credible threat to public safety," the release said.

Police believe the threat was an incident of "swatting."

"Swatting involves making a false emergency report such as a bomb threat or active violence incident to prompt a large police response," the release said. "These false reports are dangerous, unlawful, and divert emergency resources away from legitimate calls for service."

Sunday marked the second time in the past two weekends that Newport Hospital was the target of a false threat of violence.

The afternoon of May 9, police responded after someone called the hospital and threatened to "shoot the place up.”

The male caller said he would arrive in about 10 minutes to “shoot the place up” with a rifle, according a media release.

The caller did not show up at the appointed time, as he had threatened to, the release said.

The Newport police kept a uniformed officer stationed at the hospital, according to the release.