By NSP
LINCOLN, NEB. — The Nebraska State Patrol has received information regarding several false reports of school shootings that have been placed to 911 call centers across Nebraska this morning. There is no credible information that any such school shooting has taken place in Nebraska today.
According to Chadron Public Schools, "Gering, Kearney, and Valentine had calls of a reported active shooter this morning. We have it from administration and law enforcement there, that the calls were a hoax.
This sounds similar to the recent reports of hoaxes called to law enforcements in other states. At Chadron Public Schools, we take any report seriously by initiating lockdown and let law officers respond to investigate. CPS has procedures in place for just this and other situations to keep our students and staff safe."
Earlier this week, the Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIAC), a division of the Nebraska State Patrol, provided a bulletin to law enforcement agencies across the state and the Nebraska Department of Education regarding a trend of “swatting” calls that had been reported in several other states this year, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and Vermont. That bulletin advised local agencies to be prepared in the event the calls target Nebraska schools, which is occurring today.
There have been distinct similarities in the calls received by schools in other states, such as the use of VOIP technology to mask the caller’s identity and location, using or mocking a foreign accent, mispronouncing school or town names, and pretending that they are hiding inside the school themselves.
The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting any local law enforcement agencies and school districts that receive these calls. Anyone with information regarding the origin of these calls is urged to call NIAC at 888-580-6422 or submit an online tip at the NIAC Suspicious Activity Report site https://sars.nebraska.gov.