The Durango School District and local law enforcement responded Wednesday morning to a false threat – sometimes referred to as “swatting” – targeting Durango High School.
At least 14 other schools in the state reported receiving threats over the phone Wednesday, according to KK11 TV and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“As with any report, the situation was taken seriously and investigated thoroughly in coordination with local law enforcement,” said Karla Sluis, Durango School District spokeswoman. “The call was determined to be a hoax, and there was no ongoing threat.”
Sluis declined to share the content of the call.
“Our schools are safe, and student and staff safety remains our top priority,” she said. “The district is careful not to share unnecessary details about hoax incidents, as they are designed to cause fear and disruption and can encourage copycat behavior. We encourage the community to rely on verified information from the district and law enforcement and to avoid spreading speculation or unconfirmed details.”
The Durango Police Department and the county responded to the false threat, according city spokesman Tom Sluis.
“Any threat involving a school is taken seriously,” he said in a written statement. “Our officers and school staff acted quickly to ensure everyone’s safety while investigators worked with our state and federal partners. This incident appears consistent with a broader hoax affecting multiple schools, and we will continue coordinating with partner agencies as the investigation continues.”
A statewide scare
According to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and KKTV 11, the following schools reported phone threats Wednesday:
Academy of Urban Learning Denver
Abraham Lincoln High School
Alamosa High School
Arapahoe High School
Aspen High School
Brighton High School
Buena Vista High School
Colorado High School
Delta High School
Douglas County High School
Durango High School
Frisco Independent School District
Montbellow Career and Technical High School
Mountain Range High School
According to reporting by KK11 TV, Coronado High School in Colorado Springs also received a similar threat, but did not go on lockdown, and the Buena Vista Police Department reported several schools having received bomb threats from an anonymous number.
epond@durangoherald.com
