Multiple schools in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania received threatening phone calls that investigators believe were “swatting” incidents, officials said. Swatting incident in Bucks County Pennsbury High School, in Falls Township, Bucks County, was locked down — o r as officials said, “placed in secure hold” — early Monday after school officials said the district received a threat that was quickly determined to be a hoax. Officials said they received a call from a California number around 7:55 a.m. from someone claiming they were on their way to East High School with an assault rifle and a pipe bomb. Officials said multiple schools in Bucks County, including Pennsbury High School, received similar calls as well. The district posted information about the incident on social media on Monday morning. According to district officials, Pennsbury High School was initially placed on secure hold, and police were informed, after a threat was received by the district. However, in a morning update, school officials explained that the incident was believed to be a “hoax or a swatting incident.” Officials said that buses to Pennsbury High School were rerouted to Charles Boehm Middle School and would be held there until further notice. Those who walk or drive to the school “have been brought into the building or sent home,” officials said. District officials said that buses were expected to be late on Monday because of the situation. Pennsbury High School students were dismissed from the school around 9:20 a.m. and those who were bused to the middle school were transported home around 9:30 a.m. Monday afternoon, the Pennsbury School District announced that Falls Township Police had cleared the high school campus for entry and all after-school activities will continue as planned. Also in Bucks County, officials say police executed a sweep of Council Rock High School in Newtown on Monday morning after that school received a similar threat. The school was also locked down on Monday morning, but officials said, as of 12 p.m., the lockdown had been lifted. Swatting incident in Chester County On Monday morning, officials at Chester County’s Conestoga High School also reported that the school had received a swatting call. Police officers from Tredyffrin, Easttown and East Whiteland responded to the school and investigators determined the call was a hoax. Students and staff at Conestoga High School later returned to normal operations on Monday though officials said there will be an increased police presence at the school as a precaution. Swatting incidents in Montgomery County Schools in the Colonial School District were also the victims of a possible swatting call Monday morning, officials said. Those schools included Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. The call also originated in California, according to investigators. Whitemarsh Township Police confirmed there was no credible threat. Police will still have a visible presence at Colonial School District schools as a precaution, however. The Hatboro-Horsham School District also received a threatening call around 10 a.m. on Monday. Hatboro-Horsham High School and Simmons Elementary School were both placed on a lock out out of an abundance of caution, officials said. Officials said there is no confirmed or assumed threat to students or staff and they believe the calls are a hoax. A school district spokesperson said all students and staff remain safe inside the building and classes are continuing as normal though no one is allowed to enter or exit the building at this time. What is swatting? Swatting is a hoax call made to emergency services that typically report an immediate threat. Swatting is illegal in Pennsylvania as state law covers fake reports of fire or emergencies related to life or property. In late April, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that a juvenile had been charged with making swatting calls aimed at universities in Pennsylvania in August 2025, including Villanova University. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less