BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

Canton Central is the most recent North Country school to be targeted by a threatening message on social media.

Massena Central school dealt with a similar incident on following a Snap Chat message sent Sunday night.

“This morning school officials were notified by a parent that a threatening message was reportedly circulating on Snap Chat,” according to Canton Central Superintendent Ron Burke.

He said local law enforcement was notified immediately.

“The message has been determined to not present a credible threat to our school,” Burke said.

“The message is vague in nature and does not specify any school,” he said. “The message is consistent with the type of swatting messages schools in our region and around the country have been experiencing in recent months.”

Burke said the Canton Police Department will have an increased presence at school.

“While this internet posting has been determined to not be a credible threat, the parents who brought this to our attention are to be commended,” Burke said. “I ask that all members of our school community continue to be diligent and report any activity that may present a danger."

A “swatting incident” involving Massena Central School has been reported, adding to a growing list of incidents that have affected many North Country schools.

In an email to parents, Brady confirmed a threatening message was posted on Snap Chat Sunday night.

“When I spoke to the Massena Police Department late last night they reported that no such reports had come in from students in other school districts per the NYS Police and SLC Sheriffs. I did send the information to the regional superintendents and none are reporting that such a message was received in their communities,” Brady wrote.

Maenwhile, Massena Police are investigating the threat and a large police presence was seen at the school on Monday.

“We want to make you aware that law enforcement is investigating a threatening message that was reportedly circulated on Snap Chat last evening. The message is vague in nature and does not state the type of threat or any particular school or district,” Brady wrote.

Though a threat was reported, no date or specifics regarding the threat were reported. Brady did say it was similar in nature to the other swatting incidents seen throughout the North Country over the last several weeks.

Brady said the district and police are taking the threat very seriously, hence the increased police presence.

In his email, Brady offered praise to the parents who informed law enforcement about the threat and urged anyone with further information to contact the Massena Police Department.

Swatting is a harassment technique that involves calling 911 or other law enforcement agencies reporting a serious emergency that are false or hoaxes. The St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office as well as all law enforcement agencies take all calls of this nature as real incidents and serious no matter how dubious they seem.

A strain on communities

It’s not just a local problem.

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, 50 school districts across New York received threats April 4.

According to St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe, it's a strain on resources, it’s a strain on families and it’s a strain on school districts.

Bigwarfe says all of the threats are taken seriously and must be vetted. Partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have allowed for a quick and thorough response to the problem, he said. But that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.

“Obviously we have a limited amount of resources and a limited number of deputies. Our state and federal partners have been working with us and that’s allowed us to respond appropriately,” he said.

The first wave of threats came via phone on Thursday, March 30, forcing several schools to lockdown. Then on Tuesday, April 4, bomb threats via email led to delays and closures of multiple districts.