What started as a terrifying bomb threat at Westwood Christian School in Kendale Lakes on Friday afternoon ended with students and staff walking back into a cleared campus, after deputies determined the whole thing was a swatting hoax.
Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office swept every corner of the private school after a caller reported a bomb on site. The campus was emptied as law enforcement and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded. Sky 10 footage showed units clustered around the school while the search was underway.
According to Local 10, deputies were called to the area of Southwest 58th Street and Southwest 120th Avenue, where they carried out a full security sweep and followed standard safety protocols. The outlet reported that the operation wrapped up with deputies labeling the call a swatting incident and determining there was no ongoing threat.
Per the Westwood Christian School website, the campus at 5801 SW 120th Avenue serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the Kendale Lakes neighborhood. School administrators worked with first responders during the search, then resumed normal operations once deputies finished checking the property and gave the all clear.
Swatting Calls Keep Hitting South Florida
This scare at Westwood Christian is the latest in a run of hoax threats that law enforcement across South Florida has treated as swatting cases. Local 10 reported that Zoo Miami received multiple bomb threats in March that investigators classified as swatting, and a separate potential swatting call this week briefly put Cooper City High into a code red lockdown.
Why Authorities Treat Hoaxes as Serious Crimes
Federal prosecutors warn that swatting is no prank, saying these hoax calls can endanger both the public and first responders and can bring serious legal trouble. The Justice Department has pointed to recent cases in which serial swatters were prosecuted, noting that federal charges and hefty restitution are possible when fake threats trigger large emergency responses or cause harm.
Investigators are still digging into the Westwood Christian call, working to trace where it came from and identify any suspects. Authorities had not released additional details as of Friday evening.
