Classes at Haverhill High School and in other school districts were interrupted Tuesday morning by the latest round of hoax calls, known as “swatting,” that falsely reported violence.
Haverhill Police reported receiving a call just after 10 Tuesday morning from someone claiming to have a gun at Haverhill High School and having shot multiple people. The police department’s school resource officer at the high school was joined by multiple officers.
Haverhill High School used its lockdown procedures while police searched the school and surrounding area. “They were able to determine that there were no signs of ongoing violence, with the school building area secure and no reported injuries,” the police department said on social media.
Assistant Superintendent Michael J. Pfifferling emailed families, notifying them of the situation and the likelihood of a hoax.
“We have received a report of a violence within the High School. This same report has been made to multiple school districts. We believe it is not a credible allegation. The staff and students at HHS report no concerns of violence or injuries at this time. However, we must take all threats and allegations seriously and will remain in lockdown until Haverhill Police have cleared the school,” he wrote.
By 10:38 a.m., Pfifferling wrote again, saying police and school administrators had cleared the building and classes were resuming normally. Some buses carrying students to the school were temporarily delayed offsite.
Haverhill Police reported the latest incident is the subject of a continuing investigation in conjunction with its partner law enforcement agencies.