Watertown middle school evacuated after swatting incident, official says

Swift Middle School in Watertown was evacuated Wednesday after officials received a false bomb threat through the Sandy Hook Promise Say Something Safety Tip Line, according to Acting Superintendent Lisa Fekete.

School officials first placed students and staff in shelter-in-place before deciding to evacuate the building about 15 minutes later. Fekete said Watertown police and district central office staff responded to the school and that Connecticut State Police were asked to help sweep the building with bomb-sniffing dogs.

Chronology of the response

The tip came in at 12:05 p.m., Fekete said. The school was evacuated at about 12:20 p.m. and officials began lining up an early dismissal plan.

Families were notified at about 1:25 p.m. Buses left Mosgrove Field at 2:11 p.m., and parent pickups were completed by 2:20 p.m., according to Fekete.

During the response, officials brought water to students and added nursing staff and EMTs on site.

Officials called it a swatting hoax

Fekete described the incident as a swatting hoax and said evacuating the building was the safest option.

She said the school was later deemed clear and safe. Normal classes were expected to resume Thursday, June 11, 2026.

Fekete also said similar swatting hoaxes had recently been reported in Darien, Westport, Plainfield, Weston and Brookfield, underscoring a recent wave of false threats at Connecticut schools.

Watertown schools said they plan to debrief the incident and review procedures and communication after the disruption.