More arrests made in Bethlehem CSD swatting case
BETHLEHEM, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Additional arrests were made in connection to last year’s threats against the Bethlehem Central School District. A series of swatting calls, that were later determined to be a hoax, initially stoked fear in the community. Local parents reacted to the most recent arrests.
Back in October, NEWS10 told you about the Canadian teen who was arrested in connection to those swatting threats against the school district. On Tuesday Bethlehem police announced another Canadian teen and a local 15-year-old, who is enrolled at the high school, were also arrested.
The Bethlehem juvenile was charged with making terroristic threats, a class D felony. The teen was also charged with conspiracy in the fifth degree.
Rich Clarke is a parent of elementary and middle school students in the district. He said when the threats happened in September and October they were all nervous.
“It got to a point where we actually let our kids stay home one day because it was getting so worrisome,” said Clarke.
But not everyone felt the same way. Georgia Fishburn did not want to talk on camera but said she and her daughter had some tough conversations.
“I do know my daughter was nervous and worried and actually was kind of aghast that I sent her to school, but I was basically saying to her of all the places in the town that she would be safe, it would be the high school cause that’s where the whole entire police department was, or at least it seemed like the whole entire police department was there,” said Fishburn.
She thought it was important for her daughter to not live in fear and Fishburn had faith in law enforcement.
This week Bethlehem Police announced the local teen was arrested as well as a 14-year-old from Ontario, who was charged with indecent communications, public mischief, uttering threats and mischief over $5,000.
No word on whether the Ontario teen would be extradited. However, when the F.B.I. announced the first arrest, the Halifax, Nova Scotia teen back in October, they said it was unlikely the Royal Canadian Mounted Police would extradite a juvenile.
Clarke said he’s glad to hear arrests were made but he was still stunned by the facts of the case.
“That also is crazy to me, like why teenagers would be threatening kids in other schools? For what? For fun? For…? It’s kind of baffling to me, how, and why they would do that and think that that’s ok. And I’m glad they caught them and are bringing them to justice and that the F.B.I. got involved. That they took it serious,” said Clarke.
Bethlehem Central School District Superintendent Jody Monroe emailed to parents, notifying them of the situation. According to the email, the student who was arrested is not at school and the district is conducting its own investigation, adding “any student found to be making any threat to the school community will be subject to discipline according to the district’s Code of Conduct.”
“Actually I wasn’t surprised that it included one of the students at the high school. It didn’t make any sense that some student from Canada would be sending threats. I figured it would have to be, partly, an inside job,” said Fishburn.
Both parents are relieved the threats were just a hoax. Bethlehem police said more search warrants have been issued and evidence confiscated on Tuesday is being analyzed. The investigation is open and ongoing. We’ll continue to follow this story to bring you the latest.