Waterloo regional police say officers responded to a second “swatting” call that involved threats to both officers and civilians in Kitchener on Thursday.
Police were dispatched to a store in Sunrise Shopping Centre at around 8:30 p.m. after someone called in to say they were going to commit an act of violence against police and shoppers. They say the officers soon learned that the caller was “swatting” or making a false statement.
Swatting refers to a false report made to police that intends to lure a large number of officers to a particular location, often intending to target specific individuals.
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Earlier in the day, officers were dispatched to Kitchener Market after police received a gun-related call about a potential shooting.
“The caller indicated they intended to bring a gun to the area of the market and start shooting,” they said. “Through investigation, police determined the caller was from out of the country and that this was a swatting call.”
The call also led to a brief hold-and-secure at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute.
Police did not indicate where the call connected to the incident at the Sunrise Shopping Centre came from.
The Kitchener High School was also the target of a menacing phone call on May 30 where threats were made, according to police. This left the school closed for the day. A day earlier, there were also threats made over the phone about St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener, which left the school closed for two days.
Police have not said whether those were considered to be swatting calls.