Full Notification

False Report “Swatting Call”

 
Earlier this morning the Janesville Police Department received notification of a series of “Swatting” calls in southeaster Wisconsin. The notification from Sergeant Kohler at the Rock County Sherriff’s Department indicated there were five schools in Southeastern Wisconsin affected by “Swatting” calls today. These “Swatting Calls” were reported to be computer generated and were very similar in nature. In some cases swatting calls are robotic indicating there is an active shooter in a school. The intent of these swatting calls is to elicit a response from emergency responders.  
 
This morning at 11:10 am The Rock County Communications Center received a suspicious call reporting an active shooter at Craig High School. The caller stated there was an active shooter and there were casualties. The communications center staff recognized some inconsistencies with how this call was being reported that alerted them to it being a “swatting call.” The call was taken seriously and immediately vetted for legitimacy as the information was coming in to the dispatch center. The goal of the response was to ensure the school was safe, all staff and students were safe, and the incident was not occurring. Officer Jauch, who is assigned to Craig High School, was able to immediately confirm the event was not occurring.
 
The safety of the schools in the City of Janesville is a priority for the Janesville Police Department. Collaborative efforts between the JSD, JPD, JFD, and our local hospitals have allowed us to place extensive resources in place for such an event. Project Direct Connect, Casualty Care in the Classroom, Rescue Task Force, ALERRT Training for all Janesville Police Department sworn personnel and assigning 6 officers to the schools. These resources are just an example of the many tools used to help ensure the safety of the schools, the staff and the children.
 
I can assure you the Janesville Schools are safe. The call regarding an active shooter was FAKE and unsubstantiated. We are still working to investigate the origin of the call to prevent further incidents.
 

Incident Number:

Location: 401 S Randall Avenue

By: Lieutenant Mike Blaser

Date:2022-10-20

Pursuant to the directive of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3:6 Trial Publicity, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.