By Sara Beth Williams–
Citrus Heights Police released new details Monday evening regarding a swatting hoax that took place Saturday evening at Target on Sunrise Boulevard.
Lt. Wes Herman with the Citrus Heights Police General Investigations Unit confirmed that the department received a 911 call from someone claiming that an explosive device was inside Target on Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights.
The caller also indicated that if police attempted to evacuate the building, a nearby rooftop sniper would take aim, Herman said.
The call prompted a swift response from law enforcement officials, and a drone was immediately deployed to canvas rooftops. Public radio traffic from the department also indicated that air support assisted in canvassing all business rooftops in the vicinity in order to identify any possible sniper threat.
Once rooftops in the area were cleared and there was no apparent threat from a shooter, authorities evacuated store employees and customers, Herman said, adding that the store was closed for about two hours while it was searched.
Later Saturday evening, the Citrus Heights Police Department issued a statement in a local Facebook community group confirming the threat was not credible.
“CHPD responded to a reported threat at Target on Sunrise Blvd this evening. Out of an abundance of caution, the store was safely evacuated. The threat was determined not credible and is being investigated as a ‘swatting’ hoax,” the department said.
Herman explained that swatting calls unfortunately occur frequently and that there are subtle signs that authorities have learned to recognize that can tip them off that a call might be false. However, Herman emphasized that all calls with this kind of threat are taken seriously by law enforcement until the threat is deemed unfounded.
Over the weekend, a similar incident occurred at Sierra-at-Tahoe, according to multiple news reports. Officers from the California Highway Patrol, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and deputies from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Tahoe area ski resort earlier Saturday afternoon to reports of an active shooter from resort staff, only to find the claim false.
According to a news release from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, once on the premises of the resort, law enforcement determined the report was false. In this case, authorities were able to make contact with the individual who reported the claim of an active shooter.
When asked about the incident in El Dorado County, Herman said it is not known to be related to Saturday evening’s swatting incident in Citrus Heights.
