(BOCA RATON, FL)– High school campuses in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties were put on lockdown Tuesday morning, possibly as the result of hoax 911 calls.
Police in Boca were called to the campus of Boca Raton Community High School just after 10:00 AM after receiving a report of an armed person on campus.
A search of the campus by officers revealed no threat.
UPDATE: As of 10:23am, Boca Raton High School has been cleared. Nothing suspicious was located.
Please note: Other South FL schools were placed on lockdown after receiving similar reports today. @BocaPolice https://t.co/XyDNVl2wsv
— Boca Raton Police (@BocaPolice) October 11, 2022
A similar unfounded report was made against the campus of West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines while in Miami-Dade officers there responded to Miami Central High School, Reagan Senior High in Doral, Hialeah Senior High School and Northwestern High.
UPDATE 2: Our search of the West Broward campus has been completed, and no threats were located. The school remains safe & secure.
Our agency will continue to investigate the source of the swatting call. https://t.co/2Okr28LIzK
— Pembroke Pines PD (@PPinesPD) October 11, 2022
Other Broward high schools including Pompano Beach and Dillard High near Fort Lauderdale also received calls.
In all cases, responding officers found no active threat to students or staff and the lockdowns have been lifted.
Officials believe the reports were made as a ‘swatting’ prank.
Swatting is when a false report is made to police in order to cause a massive response by officers.