Colorado Schools Placed on Lockdown Following Threats
On Wednesday, several schools across Colorado, including Boulder High School, Aspen Elementary School, Brighton High School, and Cañon City High School, were placed on lockdown due to a variety of threats.[0] The FBI Denver Field Office released a statement confirming their awareness of the threats, saying they were working closely with local and state law enforcement to investigate.[1]
The FBI Denver Field Office said, “It is important to note that law enforcement will use all available resources to investigate a threat until we determine whether it is real or not. Investigating hoax threats drains law enforcement resources and diverts officers from responding to an actual crisis.”[2] They went on to urge the public to report any suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.
The threats were made via the University of Colorado Boulder’s non-emergency dispatch line, with at least 15 schools in the state receiving similar calls. A caller said they were in front of Boulder High and armed with a gun, which sparked a lockdown at Boulder High School.[3] The caller then said they were going into the school, followed by “very realistic gun sounds.”[4]
In response to the threats, law enforcement agencies across Colorado responded, including in Alamosa, Aspen, Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Brush, Cañon City, Clear Creek County, Durango, Englewood, Estes Park, Fort Morgan, Gilpin County, Lamar, Littleton, Roaring Fork Schools, and Wiggins.[5]
During the investigation, an Estes Park police officer accidentally discharged one round into the floor at an elementary school.[6] Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident.[7]
In addition, Glenwood Springs High School was put in lockdown for about 30 minutes after a swatting incident directed toward them.[2] In addition, schools in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Basalt, as well as those in the Garfield Re-2 district, were intermittently placed in “secure” status on Wednesday morning.[8]
Individuals who were present on campus were transported by bus to the Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado Boulder, 1595 Pleasant Street.[9]Reunification of parents and guardians with their children started at 11 a.m.[4] After-school activities were canceled for the remainder of the day.[10]
At 8:41 a.m., the Brighton Police Department's dispatch center received a call containing a threat to Brighton High School.[7]
0. “Multiple schools in Colorado received non-credible threats Wednesday” KOAA News 5, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/canon-city-police-department-investigating-bomb-threat-at-canon-city-high-school
1. “Police receive unfounded report of active shooter at Steamboat school, amid similar threats across Colorado” Steamboat Pilot & Today, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/police-receive-unfounded-report-of-active-shooter-at-steamboat-school-amid-similar-threats-across-colorado/
2. “Aspen School District one of several ‘swatting’ victims across the state” Aspen Daily News, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/aspen-school-district-one-of-several-swatting-victims-across-the-state/article_5e3111d6-b304-11ed-95e9-17924515ef67.html
3. “Colorado schools put on lockdown after widespread ‘swatting'; police chief describes one call as realistic, scary” The Denver Gazette, 22 Feb. 2023, https://denvergazette.com/news/public-safety/colorado-schools-put-on-lockdown-after-widespread-swatting-police-chief-describes-one-call-as-realistic/article_6f9fc072-b2cb-11ed-8ee1-f7a9a7d05f30.html
4. “Boulder High evacuated after unfounded report of shooter possibly tied to statewide ‘swatting' hoax” Yahoo! Voices, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/news/boulder-high-evacuated-unfounded-report-042100864.html
5. “BREAKING NEWS: Cañon City Police Department investigating bomb threat at Cañon City High School” Canon City Daily Record, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/2023/02/22/breaking-news-canon-city-police-department-investigating-bomb-threat-at-canon-city-high-school
6. “Multiple Colorado school districts enter lockdown after unconfirmed threats Wednesday. Here's what we know” Colorado Public Radio, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.cpr.org/2023/02/22/colorado-school-threats-what-we-know/
7. “Swatting calls came into Colorado schools in alphabetical order” 9News.com KUSA, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/colorado-high-school-lock-downs/73-3981a7dc-b1fc-45f3-9edf-8e7a46eb3f29
8. “Threatening call puts schools into lockdown | AspenTimes.com” The Aspen Times, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.aspentimes.com/news/threatening-call-puts-schools-into-lockdown
9. “Several Colorado school districts receive threats Wednesday morning, placing many students under lockdowns” Denver 7 Colorado News, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/several-colorado-school-districts-receive-threats-wednesday-morning-placing-many-students-under-lockdowns
10. “Lockdown at Boulder High School lifted after reported shooting threat” FOX 31 Denver, 22 Feb. 2023, https://kdvr.com/news/local/boulder-high-school-on-lockdown-on-reports-of-active-shooter/
