CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Auditor J.B. McCuskey says swatting is scary.
McCuskey lives in Charleston close to where police responded Monday to a call where a man had reported he had shot three family members. The home was near Holz Elementary School where McCuskey’s daughters attend.
McCuskey said he was at home when police cars went screaming by. He said his first thought was the safety of his daughters and their classmates.
“When you see that much police presence speed past your house and your kids are at an elementary school without a security guard–I literally threw on a jacket and in my shorts and slippers I ran up the street to do what I could because I thought they were going to my kids school,” McCuskey said Tuesday during an appearance on WCHS Radio’s 580 Live with Dave Allen.
Police later learned the call was a hoax call swatting where the callers make fake calls to get a large police response.
McCuskey said there should be enhanced penalties for those convicted of swatting.
“What a disaster swatting is,” he said. “At some point we need to probably take a really good hard look at what are the punishments for this. They need to be pretty similar to any other kind of action that puts a first responder in harm’s way.”
Charleston police said the call came from outside the state. An investigation is underway.
McCuskey said the scare also is a reminder about the need of improved security at schools across the state.
“There needs to be a resource officer in every single school in West Virginia. No parent should feel the need to sprint to their kid’s school at the moment of danger. There should be someone there protecting our kids,” McCuskey said.
He said he’s had discussions about security officer funding from state Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr.
The House Education Committee passed a bill Monday, HB 4851, that would allow public and private schools in West Virginia to employ security personnel.