'Swatting' Call Triggers Police Tactical Response

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Police mounted a massive response to an emergency call about a shooting, but the report turned out to be a hoax.

A tense situation Saturday afternoon was the result of a so-called "swatting" call. The false report about a shooting at a private residence on Fifth Avenue came in at 2:01 p.m., according to New Rochelle police. It was only after police arrived in force that authorities learned the call was a dangerous prank.

"Officers and Detectives responded and after further investigation found that no such shooting occurred and all residents of the home were fine and had no knowledge of any such incident," the New Rochelle Police Department said in a statement about the weekend's excitement. "Detectives are attempting to follow up on the origin of the call and motive of the caller."

In 2017, a swatting hoax in Kansas led to the death of a 28-year-old man who was shot by police who were called to his address because of a false report of a hostage situation. The 25-year-old man who called police about the non-existent emergency because of an online argument about a video game was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the New Rochelle Police Department at 914-654-2300.