Sheriff: School in Mingo County targeted in ‘swatting’ text

MINGO COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The Mingo County Sheriff’s Office investigated what turned out to be a swatting incident against a local school Tuesday morning.

According to the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office , deputies were made aware of a “possible threat” against Burch PreK-8 in a text message. Deputies say they responded to the school within minutes.

The sheriff’s office says after speaking with the West Virginia State Police Princeton Detachment and the WV Fusion Center, they determined the incident was a type of swatting incident that originated in Arizona, and there was no real threat.

This comes just one day after all Mingo County Schools were placed on lockdown for what turned out to be a hoax threat posted to social media that was part of a spoofing incident originating in Arkansas.

After Monday’s incident, the sheriff’s office said these hoax threats have been happening at multiple schools in different regions.

Authorities in Kentucky also investigated an alleged threat at Paintsville High School Monday, concluding there was never any danger to the school. However, extra law enforcement were added around the school for additional security and peace of mind.

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