Hoax bomb calls to Victorian schools traced to Nossal High School

UPDATE: SOME schools will tighten emergency responses after the third day of threats forced evacuations of several Victorian campuses, as hoax calls were linked to an elite high school.

Aitken Creek Primary school in Craigieburn was evacuated today after phone threats. Picture: Kylie Else

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UPDATE: THREATENING calls made to several Victorian schools have forced evacuations for a third day, as hoax bomb threats were linked to an elite high school.

Threats yesterday saw more than 20 Victorian schools emptied yesterday, but threats have continued to disrupt and frighten students and parents today.

Late this morning, a Victoria Police confirmed: “Victoria Police is aware that a number of Victorian schools have received a threatening phone call today.”

“The schools have enacted their emergency management plans as a precaution,’’ a spokeswoman said.

“It appears to be a series of hoax calls similar to yesterday and last week’s incidents, designed to cause disruption and attract media attention. “

St Georges Road Primary School in Shepparton, Tintenvale Primary in Ringwood East, and St Joseph’s Primary School in Warrnambool were among schools affected.

Similar threats were made to schools in the state yesterday and on Friday.

An Education Department spokesman said the new threats had been reported to police.

“While these appear to be similar to the hoax calls received by some schools over the past few days, the Department and schools are taking these calls extremely seriously,” he said.

“The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is always our number one priority.

“All schools have emergency management plans, and those schools which have received these calls have enacted their plans today.

“The Department is organising support to be available at all schools affected for students and staff over the coming days.”

Told of ‘large amount of casualties’

Schools were forced to test their emergency plans today, many only minutes after meeting to refine them.

In typical case, Tinternvale parents were notified about 10am asking them to pick their children.

A threatening phone call old them there would be a “large amount of casualties” unless the 360-student school was evacuated immediately, from a male at 9.50am.

The male voice, which sounded computer generated, warned a bomb would go off at 10.45am.

Hoax bomb calls to Victorian schools traced to Nossal High School, with more threats this morning https://t.co/weqO7RUSPo

— Elissa Doherty (@ElissaDoherty) February 3, 2016

Ringwood police Sergeant Brian Cross said the entire school was evacuated to nearby Gracedale Park within five minutes of the call.

“Luckily the assistant principal had briefed teachers the night before on what to do in case this happened,” Sgt Cross said.

Five police units searched the campus before giving it the all clear.

Parent Rod Kretchmer said children remained calm throughout the incident.

“An absolute credit to the school community,” he said on Facebook.

Tintervale Principal Kerrie Anderson said the school would tighten its emergency plans after the latest threats.

Ms Anderson said she stepped straight into “emergency mode” after the call.

“You treat anything like that as real and it feels real at the time,” Ms Anderson said.

“We had briefed the staff the night before about the possibility and just did what we had to do.”

Ms Anderson said students and most teachers had gone home and were “doing okay”.

St Joseph’s Primary principal Michael Gray said admin staff also received a “threatening” automated message to say a bomb was on site and it would be detonated.

Staff had just met this morning to discuss how to respond to such a threat, and despite widespread hoax calls, Mr Gray said they had to take it seriously.

“In these situations we still evacuate and informed local police who were quick to respond and did a full check,” he said.

“Schools are very well prepared for these evacuation type procedures and students are very clear about how to behave.

“In saying that it’s still disruptive and it is scary for parents.”

He said the first priority was ensuring the 590 students were off the premises and safe.

Once the school was cleared by police to return, an automated text message was sent to parents.

Interstate schools affected again

Schools in Queensland and NSW have also been targeted, while schools in Tasmania and ACT had also been affected since Friday.

“There is no evidence these are anything other than hoaxes designed to cause unnecessary disruption and inconvenience,” NSW police said.

Several schools in Brisbane and on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts in Queensland enacted emergency procedures after threats.

Elite school probe amid hoax threats

It comes after hoax bomb calls causing chaos in Victorian schools were traced to an elite high school.

Victoria Police is tracking the “anonymous cowards” responsible for terrifying calls, which have led to the evacuation of at least 20 schools across the state.

Education sources told the Herald Sun police had established that a number of calls made on Friday have been linked to Nossal High School, at Monash University’s Berwick campus.

This morning Education minister James Merlino confirmed police were investigating whether the calls originated from Nossal High and whether its telecommunications systems had been hacked.

“It’s certainly a line of inquiry for Victoria Police,” he told ABC 774.

Principal Roger Page says the select entry school, located in Berwick, will co-operate with police.

Police at the scene at Black Rock Primary after school students were able to leave yesterday. Picture: Chris Eastman

“We have looked into it as far as we can and we will of course fully co-operate with police,” Mr Page said.

One line of inquiry is the possibility the hoaxer used an identification spoofing service to make it appear that the calls were made from the school.

Premier Daniel Andrews told 3AW police were doing “great work” on investigating the calls and hoped to identify the culprits soon.

“School communities prepare for this sort of thing,” he said.

“School communities have well proven systems to put in place in the event there is any threat to a school.

“Parents can be reassured our schools are safe.

“It is deeply distressing and very frustrating, we want our kids to be learning.

“I’m very confident police are taking this seriously and doing everything they can to find the people.

“It’s totally dangerous and a irritating thing to do and a shameful thing to do. Any one that can be identified will be and be treated appropriately.

“They (primary school students) are very aware of what’s going in the world and it’s not something they can be shielded from. I would hope the school can provide some kind of counselling or at least reassurance to those kids who are affected by this.”

Seventeen Victorian schools were evacuated or locked down after further chilling threats of bombings and shootings were called in.

Thousands of traumatised children hid under desks in the dark as police conducted searches.

Others were left hungry, as they could not get to lunch boxes in their school bags.

Black Rock Primary students leave school with parents. Picture: Chris Eastman

At Black Rock Primary School, parents anxiously waited for up to two hours to be reunited with their children.

Police allowed the children, some clearly distressed, to leave only one by one, and without their possessions.

It is believed some schools were warned there was a bomb; others were told there would be a shooting.

Deputy Premier James Merlino praised the calm response of schools and parents, and said the calls were being taken “very, very seriously”.

“These anonymous cowards will feel the full force of the law,” Mr Merlino said.

“As a parent, I can’t imagine the angst that parents are going through upon hearing of the threats. This is not just a harmless prank.

Aitken Creek Primary school in Craigieburn was evacuated after phone threats. Picture: Kylie Else

“This is criminal behaviour that has diverted police resources and it is not acceptable.”

For three schools — Wonthaggi Primary School, Reservoir High School and Aitken Creek Primary School — it was the second time they had been threatened.

Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the calls played automated messages that were “consistent” with those on Friday.

He said e-crime detectives were working with Australian Federal Police on the “international element” of the threatening calls; similar chaos has been reported overseas.

The voice of one caller had an American accent, but Mr Ashton said it was not clear where the hoax originated or who was behind it.

“Until we identify the culprits and take action, there’s always the potential for this to recur,” Mr Ashton said.

Ten Queensland schools also got threatening calls. Thousands of students in Victoria and New South Wales were evacuated on Friday.

A mother waits outside Black Rock Primary School Picture: Chris Eastman

In one frightening call, a man warned a receptionist at a Melbourne primary school: “You don’t have much time.”

Another received an automated message that there was a bomb hidden in a backpack.

Victoria Police was unable to rule out some of the calls being made from Nossal.

The Education Department directed the selective-entry state school not to comment until the police inquiry was over.

The ease with which such fear can be spread is clear on the hidden “dark web”, where one seller offered to make such phone threats for just $US23, even offering a discount for four or more schools and a money-back guarantee if there is no evacuation or lockdown.

Victoria Police said it was treating the calls as a hoax not linked to terrorism.

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Originally published as Hoax bomb calls to Victorian schools traced to Nossal High School