MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Montpelier Police responded to a swatting hoax on Cummings St. Saturday afternoon.
Police say they received a 911 call from a child reporting a shooting at a housing complex on Cummings St.
Montpelier Police Department and State Police responded to the area, but found no shooting victims, and no evidence to prove a shooting took place.
Investigation revealed the caller made a false emergency call intended to provoke a large police response.
Police say such incidents create unnecessary risks for the public and emergency personnel and divert critical resources.
An investigation into this incident and other recent, similar calls is underway with the assistance of the Vermont Intelligence Center and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
The Montpelier Police Department reminds the public that making a false emergency report is a serious crime that can lead to prosecution at the state and federal level.
