Sen. Chuck Schumer calls on FBI for help combatting swatting at schools across New York state
NEW YORK -- Students and parents across New York state were left on edge last week after bogus threats were called in to schools.
Now, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is trying to put an end to the disturbing trend known as "swatting."
More than 220 schools across the state have been victims of swatting in recent weeks.
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Schumer was in Nassau County, Long Island, on Thursday, asking federal law enforcement to find the culprits of these unfounded threats.
"People say, well, they weren't real. No, but the fear is real, and it stays with you," Schumer said.
"You can't play around with stuff like that 'cause look at all the shootings that's going on," Long Island resident Doniesha Mays said.
"It's scary, but I think they should catch whoever is the one making the false claims," parent Tara Snow said.
Schumer has called and written a letter to the FBI, and wants to launch a federal investigation into where the calls are coming from. He's asking that $10 million in the federal budget be put aside to do so. Gov. Kathy Hochul had a meeting late last week with state officials about what can be done.
"I want parents to know that we are taking every single incident very seriously, we treat it as if it's real, but the reality is, this is meant to disrupt and cause chaos in our school system," Hochul said.
The sources of the calls are unknown, and any connection between them is still under investigation. Schumer tells CBS2 that the FBI has the cybersecurity technology to track the calls, even if they're from abroad, so schools like Garden City Middle School and hundreds of others across the state know what to do if this happens again.
"We need a compilation of what's happened with swatting over the last few years. That helps us track down who's doing this. Are they using the same words, do they do it at the same time," Schumer said. "There needs to be a thorough study by the FBI on how to stop this and give advice to school districts as to what to do."
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Schumer also announced grants for schools that receive calls, like Westbury High School, to bring in mental health professionals for the aftermath of these bogus threats.
Schumer's office says the FBI has received the letter and will be engaging with them on it. According to the senator's office, the FBI is in favor of extra money being budgeted for this project.