In recent days, hoax calls tied to alleged bomb threats and active-shooter scenarios have disrupted operations at multiple zoos across the United States, driving evacuations and closures that officials say have not involved real explosives or other confirmed danger. The incidents have left zoo staff and public safety agencies managing sudden crowds and security responses while investigators work to determine what was phoned in and who made the calls.
In northeast Ohio, police swept the Akron Zoo after a threat prompted the evacuation of visitors on Sunday. Authorities later gave the all-clear, but zoo management still chose to close the facility for the rest of the day.
Hours after the Akron incident, police were seen stationed outside the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo as visitors were evacuated there due to a threat, according to the Associated Press report. Some of the visitors took to social media to express anger that they had to leave.
In central Ohio, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was evacuated on Saturday. The zoo’s president and chief executive, Tom Schmid, told WCMH that the facility had held a safety drill the previous week and ran an exercise on Saturday morning because officials had been preparing for emergency evacuations amid similar threats at other zoos.
Schmid said the pattern is spreading nationwide, telling WCMH, “This is part of life now around the country, around the world,” and adding, “And so we have to make sure we’re vigilant.” The Associated Press report said threats have also been made to zoos in Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida and Arizona.
Federal officials have warned that swatting is increasingly common and can be dangerous even when threats are fake. The Associated Press report said the FBI considers swatting a growing national problem and that the agency has logged thousands of swatting incidents since creating a national database in 2023. Targets, the report said, have included schools, public institutions and celebrities.
The FBI also warned that swatting can impose direct costs beyond the immediate disruption. Aside from diverting resources, the Associated Press report said such calls can cost thousands of dollars per incident, and that they can endanger first responders and members of the public.
In a statement provided to the Associated Press, the FBI said: “Swatting is sometimes conducted as an act of revenge or a prank. It is a serious crime that has potentially dangerous consequences.” The agency added that “Law enforcement personnel have been wounded responding to swatting incidents, and victims have been treated for injuries such as heart attacks as a result of such events.” The FBI said swatting can also lead to federal charges.
The Associated Press report pointed to past cases in which hoax calls prompted lockdowns and evacuations at other types of institutions. It said that last year, dozens of hoax calls to college campuses across the United States resulted in classes being canceled and campuses being locked down, with some students later learning they were the targets of swatting.