ILLINOIS — As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Illinois State Police reported 21 Illinois schools had received similar “swatting” calls.

ISP is reporting local law enforcement in 19 counties across the state received threats directed toward schools.

Responders have not located any actual threats as a result of these calls and the ISP Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center currently has no information concerning credible threats related to school safety.

Swatting is defined as dangerous and illegal fake calls about an active shooter situation, typically at a school.

While state and national intelligence agencies have seen a pattern of these fake calls, each call is taken seriously.

Locally, high schools in Mt. Vernon, Centralia, Salem, Carbondale, and Marion each received one of the 21 swatting calls reported Wednesday.