WALL, NJ — The Info Age Science & History Museum was targeted in a "swatting" incident on Sunday afternoon, the Wall Township Police Department said.
At 2:13 p.m. on Sunday, Wall Police's 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call from someone reporting a critical incident at the museum, which is located on Marconi Road.
At the time of the call, the museum was hosting a three-day Information Technology Conference with about 500 attendees present.
Once officers arrived at the museum, police established a perimeter and safely evacuated all attendees.
Following a systematic search of all structures by Wall Police and explosive detection K9 teams from Wall, Manasquan, Brick, Marlboro, and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, it was determined that the initial report was a swatting incident.
A "swatting incident" is the malicious tactic of making hoax calls or reports to emergency services, typically feigning an immediate threat to life, police said.
Swatting is intended to draw a large response from SWAT teams or other law enforcement resources to an unsuspecting victim’s location, causing chaos and the potential for injury or violence.
The Wall Township Police Department Detective Bureau is actively investigating this incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective John Spinapont #198 at 732-449-4500 x1198 or by email at jspinapont@wallpolice.org.
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