A string of bomb threats has disrupted schools across the U.S. on Monday, causing parents to panic and prompting authorities to evacuate students and shut down buildings. Experts believed that the nationwide bomb hoaxes are caused by "robotic, computer-generated voices" or swatting calls.
Bomb Threats Hit Schools Across The US
USA Today reports that a string of bomb threats has disrupted elementary, middle and high school classes in at least 18 states across the U.S. Several schools from Wisconsin, Washington, Vermont, Utah, Pennsylvania, Oregon, New York, New Hampshire, Montana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Iowa, Florida, Delaware, Colorado and California received bomb threats or "threatening" calls.
The string of bomb threats drew massive police response. Affected schools were placed on lockdown and students were immediately evacuated.
Per PSLPD-- Treasure Coast HS cleared, students being sent back to class. @WPTV pic.twitter.com/iVum7bGQMG
— Katie Johnson (@Katie_Johnson_) May 23, 2016
Some students were sent home while others were relocated to a safe location. The police searched for explosives but nothing suspicious was found. Some classes resumed after it was declared that the bomb threats were a hoax.
Bomb Threats Were Caused By 'Robotic, Computer-Generated Voices'
Authorities believed that the recent string of bomb threats that disrupted schools across the U.S. on Monday was caused by swatting calls. According to Ken Trump, president of a school security consulting firm and a national school security expert, swatting calls are characterized as "robotic, computer-generated voices" that are directed to certain targets to draw massive police response.
Trump explained that swatting calls are "highly disrupted" and this series of automated calls can affect various states and jurisdictions at the same period of time. He added that swatting calls can even reach international borders.
Trump stated that swatting calls causing bomb scare have been mounting across the U.S. since 2014. He, however, said that the culprits behind these bomb hoaxes are difficult to track down because most of them are using sophisticated technologies.
According to the Independent, a series of bomb threats also hit schools across the United Kingdom last Monday. Thousands of schoolchildren were evacuated after a series of anonymous calls that warned of a bomb on site that would "behead children."
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