A false emergency call reporting a hostage situation and potential active shooter at Claremont Mckenna College prompted a large-scale police response and lockdown across the Claremont Colleges for over two hours on March 14, according to a Claremont police news release statement.
The caller claimed to be holding someone captive in a restroom, threatened violence and mentioned possessing a bomb and a rifle.
This followed a series of notifications from the Claremont Colleges Services sent to students starting at 4:55 p.m., alerting them to police activity at Claremont McKenna College, a potential shooter and the need to shelter in place. A final notification at 7:36 p.m. stated that “there is no active threat on campus.”
Avis E. Hinkson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Pomona College, addressed the swatting call in an email to the community at 9:48 p.m. The email states that classes will resume regularly on Friday.
Officers from Claremont, La Verne, Ontario and Upland Police Departments conducted extensive searches across the Claremont Colleges but found no weapons, suspects or victims. Authorities later determined the call to be a “swatting” incident—a false report intended to trigger a heavy police response.
The Claremont Police Department urges anyone with information on the case to call (909) 399-5411.
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