Crime & Safety
911 Swatting Call Lures Police In Ashburn: LCSO
Police went to a home in Ashburn early Thursday after receiving a bogus phone call from a man who said he had just shot his parents: LCSO.
ASHBURN, VA—Police went to a home in the 23000 block of Welbourne Walk Court early Thursday after receiving a phone call from a man who said he had just shot his parents. Turns out the call was bogus, and authorities are treating it as a "swatting" incident, according the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
A swatting call is a false report to 911 about people being in danger that's meant to provoke a physical response by police or a SWAT unit. LCSO spokesman Kraig Troxell said police are working to determine the origin of the call, which came in around midnight.
A similar incident occurred earlier this month in Stafford. In that case, someone called 911 and claimed to have two hostages tied up at the residence. The caller said every hour he didn't receive $20,000, he would harm the hostages. He then hung up and the call center lost all contact with him. Police went to the scene out of caution before deeming the call a hoax.
Find out what's happening in Ashburnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Image via Shutterstock
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
