Interview, Other
Hoax school shootings: inside America's epidemic
- School hoax calls are projected to rise from 70 incidents in the 2018 school year to 450 in 2022.
- Service providers are expected to implement stricter policing on accounts generated via VPNs, specifically targeting the creation of multiple calls, such as 10 calls within five minutes.
- TextNow is expected to have disabled web browser calling capabilities for VPN users since May to restrict bad actor access.
- Caller behavior indicators include knowledge of known swatters Kaya Nelson and James McCarty, evidenced by specific name usage and claims involving AR-15s and pipe bombs.
- Tracking swatters is expected to remain incredibly difficult due to investigations relying solely on initial phone call evidence.
- The investigation into the Colorado case is expected to continue with the FBI declining to comment on the specific origins of the call.
- Calls are characterized as extremely high-tech operations involving cryptocurrency payments and AI-generated voices rather than low-tech methods.
- Media coverage may obscure the severity of events, as these hoaxes may not receive the same level of reporting as actual shootings.
- There are no solid data on the frequency of these incidents, though media reports suggest an upward trend.
- Anti-SWAT hoax measures are ramping up, with felony charges added in Colorado and 15 other states during the summer of 2023.
- Law enforcement officers with children in schools face the specific risk of entering schools where their children could be in possible danger.
- Emotional trauma for children and teachers is expected to persist for a long time even after threats are identified as hoaxes.
- Continued trends in hoax volume could result in additional schools, parents, and children suffering similar emotional tolls.