Sen. Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) released the following statement after at least fourteen Wisconsin K-12 schools reported they received false active shooter threats yesterday:

“Swatting, the act of knowingly reporting a false criminal event with the intent of invoking a large police response (often including a SWAT team), is a serious crime. Parents, students, and teachers from throughout Wisconsin yesterday were panicked by the deranged actions of a criminal. In the 2019-20 Legislative Session, I worked with my colleagues to create the felony crime of swatting in Wisconsin. This ensures that law enforcement and prosecutors have the tools they need to properly punish criminals for this reckless and heartless act. If the perpetrator of yesterday’s events are found, it’s my hope that the criminal justice system can utilize the penalties we established in state law to punish that person and show that we take this very seriously.”

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