School in Englewood Locked Down in Suspected Swatting Hoax

Dwight Morrow High School went into lockdown Tuesday morning. Someone called in a threat. Police now think it was a swatting hoax. Officers from several towns rushed to the Knickerbocker Road campus around 7:30 a.m.

Police Chief Thomas Greeley said authorities received a call about a “serious threat” at the school, prompting an immediate response that secured everyone inside while officers swept through each building.

“After ensuring the safety of everyone inside, responding officers conducted a thorough search of the buildings and determined that the area was safe,” Greeley said, according to Patch.

The Detective Bureau keeps working the case. Greeley believes the call was “swatting.” This means someone made a false report to trigger a massive police response by claiming an immediate danger exists, like an active shooter.

Swatting creates real danger. It pulls officers away from actual emergencies. It puts innocent people at risk.

Back in 2022, police raced to a Maplewood home after getting a shooting report and shouted through loudspeakers for occupants to exit. A man, woman, and toddler walked out confused, having no clue what was happening.

Greeley didn’t confirm if students were at school during Tuesday’s lockdown. No arrests have been announced.

This marks another swatting case aimed at New Jersey schools. Law enforcement agencies have sounded alarms about these hoaxes becoming more common across the state.

Several police departments worked together to handle the threat. Detectives continue tracking down whoever made the call.

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