Swatting calls at IRSC campuses lead to building evacuations, searches; investigation

Corey Arwood, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY − Calls with false reports of threats to Indian River State College led to the closure and evacuation of multiple campus buildings Friday as deputies looked into what were later determined to be "swatting" attempts.

The calls about potential threats to the college's Vero Beach and Fort Pierce campuses were found to originate in North Carolina. Both calls were made to emergency numbers in those counties around 9:30 a.m., according to Indian River County Sheriff's Office and school spokespeople.

The Mueller Campus of Indian River State College consists of the original classroom buildings, the Richardson Conference Center, Schumann Center and the Brackett Library. The 141-acre campus is at 6155 College Lane, just southwest of State Road 60 and 58th Avenue.
The Mueller Campus of Indian River State College consists of the original classroom buildings, the Richardson Conference Center, Schumann Center and the Brackett Library. The 141-acre campus is at 6155 College Lane, just southwest of State Road 60 and 58th Avenue.

"A threat of suicide call came in stating a female was hearing voices and wanted to stab herself and was armed with a knife in the bathroom," said Sgt. Kevin Jaworski in a statement.

The call directed law enforcement to the campus Brackett Library on the Vero Beach campus. Deputies went to the school and searched through three buildings evacuating about 50 people before Jaworski said they determined the call was a hoax.

Opening in 2009, the Brackett Library operates as a partnership between Indian River State College and Indian River County serving college students and Indian River County community members. The facility is named in recognition of Bob and Sandy Brackett, who generously backed construction of the library.
Opening in 2009, the Brackett Library operates as a partnership between Indian River State College and Indian River County serving college students and Indian River County community members. The facility is named in recognition of Bob and Sandy Brackett, who generously backed construction of the library.

A St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office public information officer could not be reached Friday evening, but college spokesperson Suzanne Seldes said deputies "responded very quickly (and) did their search" at the school's main campus in Fort Pierce before also determining it was a hoax call.

A "swatting" call is a fake report of an emergency to 911 to intentionally have a place raided by law enforcement, particularly by an agency or police department's Special Weapons And Tactics team (SWAT). It has happened nationally since at least 2008. The FBI called it then a "new phenomenon."

Detectives are investigating the calls, Jaworski said.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Swatting calls at IRSC campuses lead to building evacuations, searches