Police investigate after several Alberta schools targeted in swatting incident

Three public schools across Edmonton — and at least one outside the city — were subjected to an international “swatting” incident Thursday, police said.

In a statement to 630 CHED, an Edmonton Police Service spokesperson confirmed the incident and said it originated internationally.

“It was not a credible threat,” the statement said.

In a news release from Grande Prairie RCMP, police said a high school in the northern Alberta city had received phone calls from a person advising there would be a shooting.

2:13 Growing problem of ‘swatting’ and why experts say it’s a dangerous trend

Police said those calls originated from the United states. Police do not believe there is any risk to students.

“Swatting” refers to an intentional phony report to police intended to provoke the deployment of an Emergency Response Team.

The attacks are frequently associated with the online gaming community, though motivations have ranged from pure prank to revenge to attack-for-hire.

– With files from Simon Little, Global News