Schools across state locked down

MT. PLEASANT — Mt. Pleasant Community School District along with 12 other districts across the state received a suspicious phone call Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 17 which resulted in districts enacting brief “Lock Down” or “Stay Put” procedures.

According to a letter to MPCSD parents and guardians, at approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, MPCSD schools went into a brief “Stay Put” status which meant students and staffs were restricted to classrooms with doors locked as regular instruction continued.

“The Stay Put was in response to a suspicious phone call received at the High School at approximately 2:15 p.m.,” Superintendent John Henriksen stated in the letter. “Upon further investigation by the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, it was found that the same automated call was sent to many school buildings across the state. Following an investigation by the School Resource Officer and Mt. Pleasant Police, all buildings were given an All Clear to return to normal operations at approximately 2:35 p.m.”

According to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 13 total school districts received these “swatting” calls. IDPS defines swatting calls as calls intended “to trigger an immediate and widespread law enforcement deployment or emergency service response to a specific location.”

According to various statements from schools and law enforcement agencies, Iowa-Falls-Alden High school received a similar call at approximately 2:10 p.m., Marion High School received a call at 2:13 p, m., West Branch received a call at 2:16 p.m., Denison High School received a call around 1:50 p.m., and Fort Madison received a call at approximately 2:26 p.m.

Denison Police Department stated the call Denison High School received said the caller was on his way to the school to “blow up the whole school.”

Fort Madison Police Department stated the caller said “that they were going to shoot up the school.”

Fort Madison Police Chief Mark Rohloff pointed out in a news release about the call in their school district that these calls came at the same time news was released about state lawmakers advancing a bill with stiffer penalties for those making swatting threats.

House Study Bill 545 was proposed as a response to a 2023 swatting incident from March 2023 which IDPS Commissioner Steve Bayens says affected approximately 30 communities in Iowa with similar calls.

The bill proposes increased penalty to a Class D felony for false reports that include threats of a forcible felony like murder, sexual abuse, robbery, kidnapping, arson, terrorism, or using a dangerous weapon. If the false report results in another person’s injury or death, the bill proposes a Class C felony.

Class D felonies are punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine ranging from $1,025 to $10,245. Class C felonies are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine ranging from $1,370 to $13,660.

“The legislators are good to back up and stuff like that,” Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee commented. “They just say, ‘Hey, we got to make some laws to make that difference. And I think that's pretty good. They're doing it the right way.”

“I think it’s important because otherwise it becomes a game and everybody wants to do it,” McNamee said. “And it’s a life and death situation for the students and the faculty and for law enforcement that respond. You know, we’re taking it very serious, and those people are kind of making a joke out of it. I don’t think it is a joke at all.”

“Think how terrifying it is for a third-grader or a second-grader or a kindergartner or a high schooler for that matter,” he said. “Those kids are scared. So, I think it is a solid to support continued problems with it, I think they need to take it serious.”

In addition to the emotional toll these situations take on students, staff, and law enforcement, McNamee says they can take up a lot of resources.

“It takes a lot of resources at least initially until we start figuring out the truth,” he said. “When we get that call, it’s kind of all hands on deck, and everybody responds.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com