UPDATED: MORENO VALLEY: Officials arrest students who falsely reported active shooter at middle school

UPDATED: Wednesday, Oct. 25, 7:45 p.m.

MORENO VALLEY — The day after responding to a 911 call that falsely reported an active shooter at Vista Verde Middle School, sheriff’s officials announced they had identified, located and arrested the suspects they allege were involved in making the call.

The day after the incident, Moreno Valley Police officials “received information about the possible identity of the suspects” who falsely reported the active shooter, Favero wrote in an updated press release.

The suspects, who authorities determined were students who attend the school, were contacted and interviewed, said Favero.  “Based on the investigation, the students were arrested and later released to the custody of their parents.”

“Charges will be filed with Juvenile Probation,” Favero explained.

Favero did not specify how many students had been identified and arrested nor did he specify what charges the minors could be facing.

The Oct. 23, 911 call brought an overwhelming response from authorities, who rushed to the school’s campus to secure and protect students, teachers and faculty members believed to be under fire from one or more shooters that the caller reported were on the school’s grounds.

When they arrived, deputies and other officials flooded onto the campus with their guns drawn and spent about one hour conducting “a systematic search of the entire school grounds; including all classrooms, offices and multi-purpose rooms,” Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Favero explained the day of the incident.

During their search and subsequent investigation, authorities determined the 911 call was likely related to an illegal and extremely dangerous activity called a “swatting” prank.

Swatting is the act of deceiving a law enforcement agency into sending officials rushing to a location, such as a private residence, business – or in this case a school, based on the false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, such as a bomb threat, hostage-taking or active shooting situation.

Monday’s incident began about 3:30 p.m. and ended about one hour later. During the initial response and investigation, sheriff’s officials called for the temporary closure of Krameria Avenue to allow deputies and other emergency first responders quick and easy access to the school’s campus.

Traffic lanes were re-opened after the campus had been searched and officials determined the report had been false.

Anyone with additional information about the incident and investigation is requested to contact the Moreno Valley Police Department School Resource Unit at (951) 486-6700. Callers can refer to incident file number MV172960333 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

ORIGINAL REPORT: Deputies respond to false report of active shooter on middle school campus

MORENO VALLEY — A false 911 report of an active shooter at a Moreno Valley middle school brought an immediate and overwhelming response from law enforcement officials who rushed to the school Monday, October 23. The incident, which officials say was believed to have been a “swatting” call, happened at Vista Verde Middle School on the 25000 block of Krameria Avenue, east of Kitching Street and south of Iris Avenue, in Moreno Valley.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Moreno Valley Police Station swarmed onto the middle school campus about 3:34 p.m., arriving within minutes of the reported incident, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Steve Favero explained in a press release after the investigation.

Although school had already let out and most students had left for the day, many students, teachers and other faculty members were still at the campus participating in various after school programs.

As deputies began arriving in the area, they were seen quickly forming into small groups and flooding onto the campus with their weapons drawn, according to witnesses from the scene.

While some officials made contact with school administrators and ordered the immediate lock down of the school, others began “a systematic search of the entire school grounds; including all classrooms, offices and multi-purpose rooms,” said Favero.

“During the search, several students were located and safely moved to safe locations,” Favero explained, saying, students “were not in danger at any time.”

As word of the massive response and unfolding investigation spread, many parents who could not find information about the incident took to social media asking for any details available.

One parent, Cynthia Moore, posted, “There is a gunman on my kids campus at Vista Verde Middle school in Moreno Valley my son is inside please pray for my son.”

Within minutes her post had dozens of comments and responses offering prayers and support for the distraught mother, who later thanked those who had kept her son in their prayers.

After deputies concluded their search and determined the call to be a false report, all school administrators were notified and the lock down was lifted, at which time the school was allowed to resume normal after school activities.

Val Verde Unified School District officials later put out a press release explaining the known facts regarding the incident and provided a phone number for concerned parents who still had additional questions or concerns.

Despite reassurances that the school was safe and no shooter or victims had been located, many parents said on social media that their nerves were still rattled. Others said they did not intend on allowing their children to attend school the following day.

The evening of the incident one parent who wished to remain anonymous said her seventh-grade son was at the school when authorities began flooding onto the campus “from every direction.”

“My son was getting ready to leave school when he first spotted officers, with their guns drawn, streaming onto the campus. He said a teacher ran past him, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him and two other kids into a classroom,” the mother explained. “He said he could hear officers going room to room during their search of the campus.”

“With this happening so soon after (the Las Vegas mass-shooting) he was terrified,” said the mother. “He said he wanted to call me from the classroom, but the teacher made him and the other students remain silent as they hid on the ground behind a large desk so any possible gunmen would not know there was anyone inside the locked and barricaded classroom.”

Due to the large law enforcement response to the reported incident, Krameria Avenue was temporarily closed to allow deputies and other emergency first responders quick and easy access to the school’s campus.

Traffic lanes were re-opened after the campus had been searched and officials determined the report had been false.

Although officials determined the call reporting the incident was false, the investigation regarding the 911 call is active and ongoing and the person who made the false claim could face criminal charges if caught.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or who knows the identity of the alleged 911 caller is encouraged to call Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch at (951) 776-1099. Callers can refer to incident file number MV172960333 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.