‘Swatting' call locks down another Southern California college campus
LOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — Students and faculty at a private Southern California liberal arts college on Thursday rushed to shelter in place as police responded to reports of a possible shooter on campus, only to learn hours later that the report originated from a 'swatting call,' the second such large illegal incident in the region this week.
A swatting call is a dangerous and illegal prank in which the caller claims a life-threatening emergency at a specific location, leading to a large emergency response.
'The caller told dispatch that they were in a restroom at Claremont McKenna College Campus, holding someone captive and threatening to harm them,' officials with the Claremont Police Department said in a news release. 'They also stated that they had a bomb and we're going to walk around with a rifle and shoot anyone they saw on the campus.'
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The call led to a heavy police presence and chaos on campus for students and faculty.
Aerial footage of the campus captured by NewsNation affiliate KTLA showed a SWAT Bearcat vehicle, as well as several police cruisers in front of the college and students, with hands on their heads, being escorted out of at least one campus building.
Police were also seen searching students moments before they allowed them to return to at least one of the campus buildings.
'I was just doing some homework, I have a paper due and I just get a text 'potential shooter,'' a student identified only as Gabe said of the incident. 'I look out the window, SWAT teams, cops and it said you got to get off campus, get to safety and lock the doors. We just started going away from campus.'
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As officers with the Claremont, La Verne, Ontario and Upland police departments created a perimeter around the school and searched for a possible shooter, school administrators canceled evening classes due to the incident.
Two hours after receiving the threat, officials gave the all-clear and lifted the shelter-in-place order.
This incident comes just one day after a swatting at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, which created a dangerous situation for pediatric patients undergoing treatment, their families and hospital staff.
NewsNation affiliate KTLA in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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