Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) says a 16-year-old boy from the United Kingdom is responsible for a series of ‘swatting’ incidents at Saskatoon schools in early April.
Swatting refers to an intentional fake report to police that is intended to provoke the deployment of emergency response teams.
On April 8, SPS patrol and school resource officers were called to three reports made over the phone saying a person was going into a Saskatoon school with a firearm.
Saskatoon Public Schools identified as the schools as Pleasant Hill, Sutherland and Wâhkôhtowin.
SPS says the reports resulted in an armed emergent response from police until it was determined the threats were not credible.
In a release, SPS said an investigation involving United States Homeland Security identified the 16-year-old boy from the U.K.
Police allege he was also found to be responsible for additional swatting incidents in both the U.S. and in Britain.
SPS investigators are continuing to investigate in conjunction with partner law enforcement agencies.
An SPS spokesperson told Global News “charges are being brought forward and will be sent to the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to be presented to their Crown for final opinion.”
The spokesperson added U.S. agencies will also be forwarding their charges to the NCA to be presented to the Crown.
— with a file from Global News’ Simon Little