Swatting Call Prompts Safety Response at Sonora ISD

SONORA, TX -- Sonora Independent School District officials said Wednesday that law enforcement is investigating a call consistent with a swatting threat, though there is no indication of an active threat to campuses. 

Law enforcement received the call earlier in the day, according to a statement from Superintendent Michael Kissire. District administrators and officers immediately followed established safety protocols to assess and investigate the report. 

Swatting is the act of making a false emergency report — often claiming a shooting, hostage situation, or other violent crime — in order to provoke a large law-enforcement response, typically including a SWAT team, at a targeted location. Such calls are frequently made as pranks or harassment and can divert resources and create dangerous situations for responders and bystanders. 

Out of an abundance of caution, district and law enforcement personnel are working together to evaluate the threat, ensure campus safety, and determine next steps, the statement said. The investigation remains ongoing, and certain details cannot be released because of privacy considerations and the need to protect the inquiry.

Kissire said the district has comprehensive safety and emergency response procedures designed to allow quick coordination with first responders. He asked parents to remind students to report suspicious communications and to avoid spreading rumors or unverified information online. 

Kissire thanked law enforcement for its rapid response and said student and staff safety remains the district’s highest priority.