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The May 3 "swatter" used the same bogus local phone number that was connected to a series of threats to Hackensack High School in March, city Police Capt. Darrin DeWitt said.
Students, staff and particularly parents and law enforcers had grown irritated by the recent string of calls, including one in which a threat was made to shoot up the school.
This time, members of a Bergen County Regional SWAT Team joined city police and firefighters at 1st and Beech Street after the caller claimed to have shot his brother.
It was quickly determined, once again, that the call was a prank.
"Swatting" incidents have been rapidly increasing this year. A little over a week ago, a prank caller brought a SWAT unit to an otherwise quiet Dumont cul-de-sac by claiming his father had shot his mother and then locked himself in a room.
A nearby school went into a brief lockdown and an EMS unit remained on standby.
SEE: Bogus 'Dad Shot Mom' Call Brings Dumont Police, Tactical Team To Quiet Cul-De-Sac
There recently were also two swatting calls in one week in Wayne.
SEE: Wayne PD Probes Second Bogus Shooting Call In A Week From Same Neighborhood
Swatting exacts a toll on innocent residents, which is usually the intent. Often public figures and celebrities are the targets. Sometimes it's simply an effort to tie up law enforcement, authorities say.
Deploying SWAT teams and additional personnel to unsuspecting victims’ homes and businesses -- as well as to schools that end up being locked down -- can put people in danger, they note. It also diverts resources from potential areas of immediate need.
Many of the culprits call from out of state -- and sometimes even out of the country. They use programs that make it seem that the calls are coming from inside a particular house, school or other location.
Hackensack police were investigating along with the county sheriff's and prosecutor's offices, with assistance from federal authorities.
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