ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Governor Hochul made an announcement Friday afternoon regarding the recent swatting incidents that took place throughout New York State.
Hochul was joined by the New York State Police and the New York State Department of Education saying she asked about efforts towards finding the perpetrators.
“Very often and probably in this case, they are foreign actors. These are computer generated calls originating in a foreign land trying to cause disruption. This is different than a criminal in our communities which is easier to identify, comprehend and prosecute. That is the challenge we face.”
Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski also spoke about the recent false threats to Monroe County schools saying even if the threats aren’t real, they instill a fear.
“This is stressful for adults, so you can only imagine how much more stressful it is for children. Because whether you have a real danger or a faked danger – it is still stressful.”
According to troopers, several schools throughout the state involved a caller saying that there was an active shooter inside the building. These calls ended up being proven false.
On Thursday morning, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received a similar report about gunshots at Brockport High School. After an investigation, there was no danger to anyone at the school.
A similar incident occurred at Brighton High School after they were informed of an active shooter threat. An investigation was launched at the school and there was no credible threat. In addition, several schools in Albany received similar threats.
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