PITTSBURGH — The FBI says they typically see an uptick in threats against schools at the beginning of the school year. And whether it’s real or just a hoax, they take every threat seriously.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle spoke with Chris Giordano, FBI Pittsburgh field office assistant special agent in charge, about those threats and agents’ response.
“Whether it’s kids not wanting to go to school or it’s foreign actors that we have in other countries that are doing this because they like to see us panic, they’ll usually go in waves,” said Chris Giordano, FBI Pittsburgh field office assistant special agent in charge.
It’s that time of the year when they typically see an increase in school threats, like the one on Monday targeting Shaler Elementary School.
>>> Man arrested for shooting threat that postponed first day at Shaler Area School District <<<
A man was arrested and charged in that case. It led to a delay in the start of the school year.
Earle: “This is something you take very seriously?”
Giordano: “Absolutely, whether it’s against a school, a religious institution or even an individual.”
And when a threat comes in, he says agents drop everything else.
Earle: “You look into all of these?”
Giordano: “Absolutely. Every single one. Anything that comes in as a threat to life, we have protocol in place that says it needs to be addressed immediately. It’s not something that — ‘Hey, this came in on a Saturday, it can wait till Monday.“
At the beginning of last school year, about a dozen districts were dealing with a rash of threats. Most were found to be not credible.
So far this year, they’ve only had one, but Giordano is urging people to be vigilant.
Earle: “This is a reminder, if you see something, say something?”
Giordano: “Absolutely. And it could be from a social media post. I know a lot of kids do online gaming. It could be something that was said during an online game.”
Giordano says tech companies will normally flag them if they see any threats.
As a father of three elementary school-age boys, Giordano understands the concerns, and that’s part of the motivation.
Giordano: “We do not stop until we can confidently say that your children are safe.”
Earle: “This is something that hits close to home with you being a parent?”
Giordano: “Absolutely.”
Even if it’s meant as a joke or a hoax, the FBI says they will aggressively pursue criminal charges.
They say a hoax threat diverts critical public safety resources, disrupts classes and can leave students, parents and teachers terrified.
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