Westwood High School in northwest Austin was briefly emptied out Wednesday after administrators received a bomb threat that triggered a rapid, campuswide evacuation and search. Students and staff were moved out of classrooms and into the school’s Warrior Bowl while police and firefighters swept the buildings, and everyone was allowed back inside after roughly 35 minutes. Principal Erin Campbell said the call appears to be part of a broader series of “swatting” hoaxes affecting several school districts.
According to KVUE, police and fire officials were called in and ultimately gave the all clear following a full sweep of campus facilities. The outlet reports that Campbell thanked first responders and credited students and staff for keeping their cool during the disruption, saying, “We appreciate the calm way our students and staff handled the disruption and are thankful for the quick responses from police and firefighters,” and that “at no time were our students or staff in any danger.”
What Swatting Means For Schools
Swatting is the deliberate reporting of a false, often violent emergency, such as a bomb or active shooter situation, with the goal of triggering a large law enforcement response. Federal security agencies and school safety groups warn that these hoaxes can come in clusters, throw entire school days off course and tie up emergency resources, according to CISA.
How Westwood Handled The Call
Per Westwood High, the campus follows district emergency procedures when threats like this come in. School leaders said students and staff stayed calm while first responders moved through the buildings, and classes resumed once authorities declared the school safe…