North Attleboro School Among Several Threatened in ‘Swatting’ Incidents

NORTH ATTLEBORO — North Attleboro High School was among several in Massachusetts threatened in multiple 'swatting' incidents on Monday.

North Attleboro police confirmed in an update yesterday that the school was threatened with "imminent harm" by a male caller to a police telephone line just before noon.

"The caller was not certain of the town he was calling about," according to the statement from police.

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Police said the department took the threat "very seriously" and immediately notified school administrators and the School Resource Officer.

The school was placed on lockdown and "all available assets" from the town's police department as well as state police troopers responded, according to the statement.

Police said authorities did not find anything suspicious after conducting a thorough search of the building and grounds at the school complex — which includes the high school and the middle school.

Authorities believe the incident was an example of 'swatting,' in which a caller makes a fake threat to get a large police response at a certain place.

The phone number used to make the call was the same one used to call several other police departments to threaten other school districts in the state, according to the release.

Other Massachusetts school districts threatened in the 'swatting' incident on Monday include Amesbury, Charlestown, East Boston, Chelmsford, and Westfield.

This is not the first threat made at North Attleboro schools.

On Nov. 1, 2022, North Attleboro Middle School students were sent home before school began after a message threatening a school shooting was discovered written in a school bathroom.

North Attleboro High School has just over 1,100 students enrolled for this academic year, according to the state's Department of Education website.

The school is located at 1 Wilson West Whitty Way in North Attleboro.