Police Still Investigating Hoboken ShopRite Bomb Threat, Cite 'Uptick' In False Calls

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken police are still investigating a false bomb threat called into the ShopRite on Madison Street on Tuesday, but have no suspects, a spokesperson said.

After someone called in the threat, the ShopRite and a nearby day care had to be evacuated, and police and the city told residents to stay away from the area of Madison and Ninth streets for about an hour.

Lt. Jonathan Mecka said Thursday, "We are investigating the matter. It's assigned to Det. John Quinones. An unknown person called the store and simply said 'There is a bomb in ShopRite.' "

He added, "Detective Quinones will be utilizing all investigative tools in an effort to identify the individual who did this."

He noted that there has been an "uptick" in "SWATting" calls, or calls meant to send law enforcement to a certain location, in the past year. He declined to speculate on the reasons.

The calls can prove dangerous, as they take law enforcement away from real emergencies, and can cause accidents and fear.

Several such threats have been made recently to stores in the state, including ShopRite and Walmart. On Wednesday, someone called in a bomb threat to the Franklin Township ShopRite.

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating several earlier threats to stores in Somerset County.

Elsewhere in North Jersey, there have been "SWATting incidents" in which someone claimed a family member was shot.

In Maplewood in April, one such call sent police rushing to a residential home and demanding that the occupants come out. It turned out to be a couple and their toddler who were surprised by the visit.

Making a false 911 call is a crime, as the FBI notes on its page on Swatting. They say they first identified the "phone hacking phenomenon" in 2008.

The FBI says that in 2009, a 19-year-old hacker was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison in for making numerous "swatting" calls.

That man was released nine years later in October 2018, according to federal prison records.

READ MORE: All-Clear Issued After Hoboken ShopRite Bomb Threat

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