UPDATE: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:29 PM
ROSCOMMON COUNTY- Investigators were successful in tracking the telephone number that made this call. This number was associated with a subject in the State of Maryland. Harford County Maryland Deputies went to the registered address for that phone number and spoke with a 29-year-old male suspect. During the interview, the suspect admitted to making the call to Michigan. Investigators were able to determine that he has no immediate means or capability to carry out any attacks here in Michigan. The Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office continues to work closely with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and no additional details are being released at this time.
Thank you to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Michigan Intelligence Operation Center for assisting in this investigation.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:04 PM
ROSCOMMON COUNTY- This afternoon, law enforcement received reports from a local business that they had received a phone call from an unknown person who was threatening to carry out a mass casualty incident at local schools. No school or district was specified by the caller.
While the investigation was being conducted into the source of the call by detectives, police units were dispatched to schools within Roscommon County. Local Schools were placed in secure mode in which the exterior of the school is secured, and subjects are not allowed into the school, but classes continue inside. Officers from the Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office, the Gerrish Township Police Department, the Richfield Township Department of Public Safety, the Denton Township Police Department, the Michigan State Police, STING Narcotics, and the DNR Law Enforcement Division responded to schools throughout the county to secure the exterior of the schools. Officers remained in place guarding busses during loading.
Investigators continue to research the source of the call. At this time, it is believed that the call was likely an incident of “swatting” in which these false threats are called in at random. Swatting is a criminal harassment act of deceiving an emergency service (via such means as hoaxing an emergency services dispatcher) into sending a police or emergency service response team to another person’s address. This is triggered by false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, such as a bomb threat, murder, hostage situation, or a false report of a mental health emergency, such as reporting that a person is allegedly suicidal or homicidal and may or may not be armed, among other things. Often these incidents are found to be perpetrated by callers from out of the area and even overseas.
Indicators of a Swatting Call:
- The Swatting call is the only incoming call reporting the incident. In a real incident multiple calls would probably be received, depending on location.
- Swatting calls are received on a non-emergency line. Swatters using VOIP services cannot dial 911.
- VOIP services will appear as blocked number, all zeros or nines or a default VOIP number that may not match area phone numbers.
- The caller’s demeanor is inconsistent with the claimed crisis or threat.
- The caller mispronounces names, cities, street or building names. Callers may have a foreign accent or talk in a demeanor that does not fit the geographic orientation.
- The caller story changes or escalates
If you receive a Swatting call, try to obtain as much information as possible and contact 911.
Parents may see an increased law enforcement presence at the schools throughout the week as an extra precaution to keep buildings secure and students safe.
