Norwich — City police are investigating a bogus report of an armed individual at the Stanton Elementary School Thursday as a likely “swatting” incident, a term used for phony calls designed to illicit a response from emergency services that may include a SWAT team. 

Connecticut and other states have experienced a rash of the prank calls over the last year, including one in Colchester in September when state and local police responded to a home for reports of a shooting and hostage situation. Dozens of law enforcement officials arrived to find a vacant home. 

At 11:46 a.m. on Thursday, Norwich emergency dispatchers received a call that a subject was armed inside Stanton Elementary School. Police Lt. Christopher Ferace said the department has protocols in place and are trained to respond to “an active violent situation.” 

Officers responded to the school at 386 New London Turnpike and quickly determined the call was a false report. Ferace said officers conducted a systematic sweep of the school and surrounding area. He said in addition to the fact there was no armed individual, other factors contradicted what the caller had reported. He declined to elaborate. 

All students and faculty were safe and unharmed. Norwich School Superintendent Abby Doliver said there was a 35-minute lockdown while police were at the scene. 

“They had to make sure all was safe and they did,” Doliver said. 

After the lockdown school administrators went room to room to speak with students, addressed the staff and called parents. The students had a regularly scheduled early dismissal. 

Norwich Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro said investigators are taking the false report seriously and plan to enlist whatever state or federal resources are available to ensure the perpetrator is caught and prosecuted. 

“It’s a waste of resources and in addition, someone can get hurt in these types of responses,” Fusaro said. 

Following a spate of false incidents last year, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Dora B. Schriro issued a public statement in September warning that “swattings” are criminal acts and include possible felony charges. 

A Wethersfield man who was allegedly part of a Microsoft X-Box online gamers group was charged by the FBI last year for his involvement in a bomb threat that led to a lockdown at the University of Connecticut. 

State Sen. Art Linares, R-33rd District, has proposed a bill pending with the state legislature’s judicial committee that would require a person found guilty of swatting, or making a prank or false threat, to reimburse the town or emergency responders for the cost of the response, in addition to criminal penalties. 

Norwich police ask anyone with information about Thursday’s incident to contact police at (860) 886-5561, or the anonymous tip line at (860) 886-5561, ext. 500. 

Day Staff Reporter Kimberly Drelich contributed to this report.

g.smith@theday.com

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