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Crime

Charges laid in international investigation into school “swatting” incidents

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Charges laid in international investigation into school “swatting” incidents

November 28, 2019
Charges have been laid against three youths in Scotland and charges are pending against another youth in England after a series of shooting and bomb threats were made to schools in five countries earlier this year.

On February 11, 2019, multiple Edmonton schools began receiving phone calls threatening either a bomb or impending attack by an armed suspect. The calls were made using an online calling app, and the caller reportedly had a Scottish or British accent. The schools were placed on heightened alert, and in some cases initiated lockdown procedures while EPS patrol officers responded.

The EPS School Resource Officer Unit immediately began coordinating with all the affected schools, and it quickly became evident that these calls were part of a large-scale hoax. The EPS Cyber Crime Investigations Unit (CCIU) was able to link these calls to similar calls being made to Calgary schools, and a school in Texas, USA. In total, nine schools and one bank in Edmonton and five schools in Calgary received hoax phone calls over the course of February 11, 12 and 20, 2019.

Following an extensive investigation, the calls were traced back to the UK. After contacting their counterparts in the UK, CCIU learned that these calls had been linked to over 80 similar hoax calls made to the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and the USA.

“The amount of school and police resources these calls take up, not to mention the distress they cause to children, teachers and parents, is unacceptable,” says Det Philip Hawkins, with EPS CCIU. “We left no stone unturned in this lengthy investigation, even across international borders, and three suspects are now facing charges in their home country,” adds Det. Hawkins.

The investigation, which included collaboration from police services in Canada, the USA, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom has resulted in numerous charges against three youths, who are between the ages of 15 and 17, and thus cannot be named.

Each of the three youths are facing these charges under Scottish law:

  • Section 51 Criminal Law 1977
  • Section 127 Communications Act 2003
  • Section 38 Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010
  • Section 85 Postal Services Act 2000
  • Common law – Wasting Police Time
  • Common law – Culpable and Reckless Conduct

“While we were able to identify early on that these calls were a hoax, we take these occurrences very seriously,” says Sgt. Em Chan, with the EPS School Resource Officer (SRO) Unit. “Our SROs were able to alert and coordinate with all Edmonton schools to help mitigate the impact and keep everyone as safe, calm and reassured as possible.”

In total, the February 2019 series of hoax calls resulted in the deployment of 47 EPS vehicles and affected more than 4,000 Edmonton students, with six Edmonton schools placed in lockdown for a cumulative total of 4.75 hours.

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Crime

UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

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Quick Hit:

After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.

Key Details:

  • The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
  • Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
  • The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”

Diving Deeper:

The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.

“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”

The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.

Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.

While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.

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Crime

Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

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Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.

Key Details:

  • Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.

  • He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.

  • The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.

Diving Deeper:

Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.

Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.

The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.

From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.

Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

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