Battle Mountain High School subject to second swatting attempt Tuesday
KDVR Fox 31
DENVER (KDVR) — The Eagle County Sheriff's Office investigated an anonymous report on Tuesday of an armed party within a restroom at Battle Mountain High School and found it was unsubstantiated.
The report was received just after 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Eagle County Sheriff's Office responded to the school where a school resource officer was already on the scene. The agency teamed up with the school district to begin investigating the threat as additional deputies were called to help with the search.
The agency said that "within just a few moments" of the report, a thorough sweep of the building was conducted and no threat was conducted. After investigating the school itself, deputies turned their attention to the anonymous report.
The Eagle County Sheriff's Office said the IP address used Tuesday morning has been linked to several similar threats nationwide. Deputies were able to confirm it was another swatting incident.
This is the second such swatting incident at Battle Mountain High School in the past month. On Sept. 18, the school was evacuated while deputies investigated a bomb threat. The threat was found to be unsubstantiated but resulted in a community meeting on Sept. 26 with representatives of the Eagle County School District, Eagle Police Department, Avon Police Department, and Vail Police Department, in addition to the sheriff's office.
Sheriff James Van Beek spoke about the concerns that parents and guardians in the district experienced after hearing about the threats. He said the law enforcement is working to identify the people behind the threats.
"To the person or people responsible for threatening our children and intentionally terrorizing our community: We are actively pursuing all leads to find out who you are, and if we find out you are responsible, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Van Beek said.
"To the people spreading misinformation on social media, especially the cowards who won't attach their names to the comments and instead post things anonymously: We understand that it's natural in the heat of the moment to protect others, but once a rumor or unverified source of information is shared online, it can take on a life of its own," Van Beek added.
Van Beek also requested that community members report anything suspicious or related to such incidents directly to law enforcement. He also said that the community needs to stand together to continue making the county a safe place.
The repeated threats have been echoed in other school districts in the state, such as Englewood Schools. On Sept. 9, several schools posted to social media stating there would be an increased police presence or canceled classes while law enforcement investigated threats made targeting Colorado schools.
Anyone with information about the origination of the Oct. 8 threat is asked to contact the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office at 970-328-8500 or call 970-479-2201 to reach an on-duty deputy. You can also share tips anonymously with Crime Stoppers at p3tips.com or send a tip using the "P3 Tips" mobile app.