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Fourth Hoax Call Aims at Clovis West. How the School Responded.

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Clovis West was targeted by another hoax "swatting" call Thursday morning, the fourth in five days. (GV Wire file photo)
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Clovis West High School was the target of yet-another phone call threat Thursday morning, the fourth in five days.

The call came before 8 a.m. and before the start of classes at the northeast Fresno high school, spokeswoman Kelly Avants said.

Law enforcement quickly determined it to be a hoax and the school resumed normal operations, but officers will remain on site to provide support to students and staff, she said.

Nearby Fort Washington Elementary was briefly put on shelter in place status during the law enforcement activity at Clovis West, Avants said.

Officials from the school, school district, Clovis Unified police, Fresno Police, and FBI met Wednesday evening with parents and other community members to discuss the recent spate of “swatting” calls that have targeted Clovis West since last Friday.

The calls appear to be emanating from the same person or source, and apparently are coming from outside the U.S., the officials said.

Parents expressed concerns about what appear to be a diminishing response on the part of the school to the repeated security threats, but officials emphasized that each threat is taken seriously and is evaluated case by case.

Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email