Police say a “bored” teenager is to blame for a hoax 911 call that claimed a gunman was on a rampage at a Hialeah charter school. The claim forced a lockdown, terrified students, and caused SWAT officers to descend on the campus.
According to the Miami Herald, Hialeah detectives arrested a 13-year-old student at Lincoln-Martí Charter School, who they say admitted he and another young man “swatted” the school. Swatting is a slang term for a popular but dangerous prank sometimes played by online gamers who call in threats to force heavily armed police officers to respond to a specific location.
“The defendant’s actions caused mass hysteria and chaos in the school,” the police arrest report stated.
Cops believe the second suspect, who is from New Jersey, helped the teen orchestrate the prank call that falsely alleged that a high school teacher had kidnapped someone, which caused cops to rush the bewildered man’s home.
The Hialeah teen (who is not being identified due to his age) has been charged with two felonies: falsely reporting a threat and interfering with an educational institution.
The prank 911 call came into Hialeah police at 11:44 a.m. on Tuesday, alleging an “active shooter” at Lincoln-Martí, 3500 W. 84th St. The campus was immediately placed on lockdown as SWAT officers rushed there, searching room by room for a shooter who did not exist.
