Halifax police say a dramatic and alarming call about a shooting and hostage situation that resulted in the evacuation of a Bedford apartment building ended up being a hoax.
Halifax Regional Police (HRP) says officers were called at about 12:30 a.m. Monday from a man “who identified himself as living in an apartment complex on River Lane in Bedford.”
“The caller reported that he had shot his father and was holding his mother hostage and at gunpoint,” police said in a release.
Officers then arrived at the building and evacuated the nearby residences. A Halifax Transit bus was used as a warming shelter for evacuees.
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“Police then contacted the man’s parents and confirmed they were safe,” police went on to say.
The man who was initially believed to have made the call eventually came out of the apartment “with no knowledge of the incident.” HRP says he co-operated with them and was released after they determined he did not actually make that 911 call.
“Further investigation determined that the initial call was made from outside of Canada and was a hoax,” HRP said.
The incident, known as swatting, involves people making false reports in order to prompt a “significant police response.’
HRP says it is still investigating the incident. It adds that swatting reports tie up emergency responders and divert them from actual emergencies.
There are no charges at this stage, the force said.
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