26 Synagogues Hit With Swatting Calls In Last Month

The New York Times reports:

The hoax calls to police departments or suicide hotlines around the country say that a man is considering killing himself and others or that a bomb has been placed in a building. The address given on the phone belongs to a synagogue that is livestreaming its services. In some cases, the callers watch in real time as police interrupt frightened worshipers. Later, clips of the incidents are posted online.

The incidents are part of a string of 26 “swatting” calls aimed at synagogues in 12 states across the country that the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy organization, has tracked for the last month, including at least five in New York City and state. In New York, police officers have showed up at synagogues with bomb-sniffing dogs. In North Carolina, worshipers were evacuated. In California, callers said there was a backpack bomb hidden under a bench.

Read the full article.

The Anti-Defamation League has tracked 26 calls threatening violence at synagogues from New York to California over the last month. https://t.co/AZOIem9GVn

— NYT Metro (@NYTMetro) August 16, 2023