Many of you may have heard about
the law enforcement response at Bonneville High School yesterday. We are grateful to share that the situation was resolved safely, all students and staff were safe, and law enforcement determined that the reports were part of a swatting hoax. These situations create an understandable level of anxiety for our students, families, and staff members.
The incident involved two separate phone calls. One was made directly to Bonneville High School, while the other was made to Bonneville County Dispatch. Because the reports came through two different channels, both school staff and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately.
Deputies responded to Bonneville High School as well as adjacent schools including Rocky Mountain Middle School, Technical Careers High School, Ammon Honors Academy, and Bonneville Online High School. Out of an abundance of caution, those schools were placed into Lockdown while Bonneville High School remained in a Hall Check.
Deputies checked the area and found no active violence or other safety concern.
Law enforcement determined that the reported threat was a swatting hoax—a deliberately false report intended to trigger an emergency response. BCSO reported that the call originated outside our area, with no identified connection to Bonneville High School or our local community.
Bonneville High School was not the only Idaho school targeted yesterday. Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene also received a swatting call, and authorities reported two additional swatting calls in the Boise area.
We are very grateful for the quick response of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and for the calm response of our students and staff. Yesterday’s incident also gives us an opportunity to answer a few questions about how we respond to situations like this and how we communicate with families.
