On Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023, at approximately 11:38 AM, members of the Yonkers Police Department immediately responded to Lincoln High School at 375 Kneeland Avenue on an anonymous call of shots fired. Responding officers, including members of the Emergency Service Unit, made contact with school officials and searched the building; it was determined there were no shots fired and the incident was deemed unfounded and that the school was swatted (an emergency police response to a falsely reported high-risk scenario). A criminal investigation was initiated.
Detectives assigned to the Intelligence Division responded to the school and working together with Yonkers Public Schools quickly identified a person of interest. Investigators determined that a 14-year-old student at the school made the call and was likely responsible for making additional fraudulent calls in the past; the student was placed into custody at the scene and brought to the Community Affairs Division where he was charged with one count of Falsely Reporting an Incident, a Class E Felony in the New York State Penal Law. The student was issued a desk appearance ticket returnable to Family Court and was discharged in the custody of his parent.
The City of Yonkers, Yonkers Police Department, and Yonkers Public Schools places the highest priority on the safety and protection of our students and school community. Falsely reporting an incident is a serious crime that negatively impacts police services and the well-being of those affected and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. ###