Wakefield Hostage Situation Was 'Swatting' Hoax

WAKEFIELD, MA — Police are investigating a "swatting" hoax in Wakefield overnight. Several officers and K-9 teams responded to a reported hostage situation around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to State Police. The caller reported that a person was barricaded inside a home with a hostage on Elm Street, police said.

The caller said people were in danger and possibly injured, according to police.

Officers from the Wakefield and Reading police departments and the Massachusetts State Police responded. Police contacted residents in the home and found there was no danger.

Investigators are treating it as a "swatting" prank, which has made headlines in recent years. The prank involves calling 911 operators that are close to their victims, frequently using caller ID to conceal their true location, then reporting severely dangerous situations that would warrant a SWAT team response, according to NPR.