ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. (WWTI) — The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office is addressing “swatting” incidents in an effort to assure the community that deputies will take any threats made locally seriously.

The Sheriff’s Office said that law enforcement agencies throughout Vermont received calls reporting active shooter situations at nearby schools within a three-hour span on the morning of February 8.

An investigation determined the calls were part of a coordinated hoax known as “swatting,” when callers falsely report emergencies and threats of violence intended to invoke a large police response, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Officials say that similar incidents have occurred in Maine and New Hampshire in recent months and hoax calls are sometimes made in St. Lawrence County. Many of the calls are made from outside the United States, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Any threats made to our schools will be fully investigated to ensure public safety to our communities.

St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office said that all calls will be taken seriously and they will not dismiss any calls as a hoax.