Moberly School District: ‘Swatting’ call leads to lockdown

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A "swatting" call Thursday afternoon led to a lockdown at buildings across the Moberly School District, according to a social media post from the district.

The district posted Thursday afternoon that Moberly Police received a threat report, which led to an immediate lockdown at all school sites.

"Law enforcement has since determined the threat to be a swatting call, all buildings were checked and cleared, and all students and staff remained safe throughout the incident," the post states.

Police said there was never any real danger.

"At no time was there an indication of an active threat to students or staff," the Moberly Police Department said in a news release. Police continue to investigate, the release says.

Swatting is a term used to describe calls meant to bring a large police response to an address where no crime is taking place. It's been on the rise in recent years, with the Educator's School Safety Network saying nearly 64% of all violent incidents in the 2022-2023 school year were false reports of an active shooter.

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