False report of shooting prompts heavy police response, closure of Greenback Lane

By Sara Beth Williams–
Citrus Heights Police responded to the 6600 block of Greenback Lane near Dewey Drive on Saturday morning after receiving a call from a third party alleging a shooting had taken place at a local apartment.

Citrus Heights Police Lt. Bill Dunning told The Sentinel Monday that the third-party caller claimed they were speaking with a juvenile who “stated they had shot their mother inside of their apartment.” Once police officers made contact with the residents inside the apartment in question, officers were able to determine that everyone inside the residence was unharmed and that no shooting had taken place.

The call was received just after 10 a.m. on Nov. 16, police confirmed. Dunning reported that street closures were lifted within 30 minutes as soon as officers determined no crime had been committed.

Dunning said the Police Department closed the intersection of Greenback Lane and Dewey Drive due to public safety concerns because of where the apartment was located.

The local incident sparked worry on social media Saturday as many residents reported having to turn around and others reported witnessing heavy police activity at the intersection of Greenback Lane and Dewey Drive. Dunning said SWAT officers were not called out to the scene Saturday.

“We’re trying to identify the phone number that was provided to us by the reporting party that they were communicating with,” Dunning said, adding that the department still doesn’t know who the phone number belongs to. Dunning added that the family living at the residence was concerned but “completely understanding” of the response once officers explained the circumstances.

“Had this been a real call for service, there is obviously danger to the public,” Dunning said.

The situation in which a hoax emergency is called into law enforcement agencies in hopes of initiating a “SWAT” response has been defined as “swatting.”

Most recently, an 18-year-old from Lancaster, California pleaded guilty in mid-November to phoning in hundreds of false threats of imminent bombings, mass shootings, and violence targeting locations across the U.S., according to multiple local news reports.

Making false emergency 911 reports is illegal in California and can lead to a misdemeanor charge, fines, and a felony charge if the individual convicted “knows that the response to the report is likely to cause death or great bodily injury,” or bodily injury or death occurs as a result of the false report.