The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is responding to multiple swatting incidents at schools and Jewish facilities across the state.
At least 25 schools and nine Jewish facilities in Minnesota reported receiving emailed bombing and shooting threats as of 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.
The BCA said the language used in the messages were almost identical.
The BCA provided this statement about facilities and areas impacted:
“What we can provide at this point is a list of jurisdictions. Public schools and Jewish facilities in the following Minnesota jurisdictions reported receiving this email threat: Aitkin, Anoka, Bemidji, Brainerd, Champlin, Circle Pines, Columbia Heights, Crosby, Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Frazee-Vergas, Fridley, Mendota Heights, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Rochester, Spring Lake Park, St. Francis and Anoka County”
Local law enforcement agencies are responding to the incidents but none have turned out to be real.
The BCA defines swatting as “making a prank threat in an attempt to bring a large law enforcement response to a particular address.”
Authorities say the individual and address identified in the threats have no known involvement in the swatting incidents.
The Minnesota Fusion Center at the BCA is tracking reports and keeping local law enforcement informed in the process. No other states are reporting similar widespread swatting attempts today.