York County Press Release
On July 2nd at approximately 1:05 p.m. the York County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School at 107 Chapin Street in Waco, Nebraska for a potential bomb threat.
Deputies responded to the scene and were advised by school personnel that an unknown male called the school’s main telephone line and advised he placed an explosive device inside the main school building and another device outside the building.
Deputies immediately searched the entire school property and were unable to locate any explosive devices.
Throughout the investigation, it was determined that the initial phone call to the school was made from an unknown phone number and the voice on the other end of the line was computer-generated using artificial intelligence.
This incident was determined to be a “swatting” call, or a hoax. At no point was there a threat to the community of Waco, or the school.
Swatting incidents have been occurring regularly around the country to disrupt businesses, schools, and places of worship.
The York County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School personnel for their assistance in bringing this incident to a close safely and quickly.
The York County Sheriff’s Office takes great pride in ensuring our schools, businesses, and places of worship, and communities are safe. Regardless of hoax calls like this occurring, we take all calls seriously and will respond as such.
