District 70 says threats that resulted in Monday school closures were ‘swatting’ incident
PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) – Officials with D70 said threats made against the district over the weekend were an instance of "swatting." Swatting is a false report made to deliberately cause an emergency response.
"Sheriff Lucero, Pueblo County Sheriff’s deputies and Colorado State Patrol Troopers searched the affected schools and all were deemed safe," said Ronda Rein, Superintendent in a release.
The district says investigators so far have not found that any student from the district was responsible for the threat.
Over the weekend, District 70 notified families that they would be closing three different school campuses, as they investigate "potential threats" that came to their attention.
A D70 parent shared an email with KRDO13 from the district, which explains that the Liberty Point International School, District 70 Online Learning Academy Pueblo West Campus as well as Swallows Charter Academy, would all close Monday.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's office shared this statement on Sunday with KRDO13:
"We received information of a possible threat. At this time, it doesn’t appear to be a credible threat. We are working with District 70 officials and continue to investigate. We will have an increased presence at the schools tomorrow."
Here is what the original email says that District parents got on Sunday morning:
"Hello District 70 Parents, Families and Staff.
We have received reports of potential threats via multiple channels. We are taking this matter very seriously.
District 70 administration is working closely with the Sheriff’s Office to investigate the credibility of these threats and to ensure the safety of our students, staff and school campuses. We are implementing all necessary precautions to address this situation. Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, Liberty Point International School, District 70 Online Learning Academy Pueblo West Campus and Swallows Charter Academy will be closed tomorrow, Monday, April 21, while the investigation continues.
We ask our community to remain alert. If you see or hear anything suspicious or concerning, please report it immediately to school officials or law enforcement. Your vigilance and cooperation are vital to keeping our schools safe.
We will provide further updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your attention and support during this time."
School operations are expected to resume on Tuesday.
