ST. GEORGE, Utah — Police in St. George have traced a threatening call directed at a high school back to a number associated with "swatting."
Swatting is when an individual calls in a fake threat to bring emergency services to one specific place.
St. George Police said that a dispatch center received a threatening call directed toward Snow Canyon High School on Wednesday afternoon.
After the phone call was received, the school was placed on "secure mode," meaning exterior doors were locked, everyone stayed inside the school building and classroom activity could continue as normal inside.
Details about the nature of the phone call were not disclosed, however, police said the phone number used was a Google phone number.
As investigators worked to determine the origin of the phone call, police said they treated the situation as a "viable threat."
More police officers were stationed at schools throughout the city, with a focus on the high school.
About an hour later, police said they traced the origin of the phone call to a number associated with swatting and there was no threat. Still, out of an abundance of caution, extra officers will be positioned around the school for the remainder of the day on Wednesday.
After the incident, police thanked the community for their cooperation and vigilance in the community.
