FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. — A scary "swatting" situation left a Fountain Hills neighborhood in disarray this week as deputies continue the search for answers.
"Swatting" is when someone calls cops to someone’s home using a fake story to draw them out. In this case, the caller reported that a dad shot his teenage daughter.
The quiet neighborhood near Fountain Hills Boulevard and Bainbridge Avenue turned into a standoff scene Monday afternoon after dispatchers got a call from a man claiming to have shot his teenage daughter at the home. The scare sent nearby schools into lockdown and drew a large law enforcement response.
“We had our SWAT team, our helicopter in the air, all of our patrol resources, we had resources from other areas of the county,” said Capt. Larry Kratzer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
First responders prepared for the worst, only to find out three hours later that the entire situation was a hoax.
“In the end to find out it was just a fabricated call was extremely frustrating,” said Kratzer.
Many residents Monday were worried that someone was hurt.
When deputies arrived, they found no one inside the home. The person the caller claimed to be, the former homeowner, was found in Scottsdale. Deputies say he had nothing to do with the call.
“I’m sad it wasted a lot of people’s time and they could’ve been doing something else,” said Carol Stuttard, who lived in the neighborhood.
Kratzer said the response to the situation easily cost taxpayers more than $10,000. Also, every time guns are drawn, someone could get shot.
“It’s just a dangerous situation for law enforcement and people and the swat response,” said Kratzer.
First responders are trying to figure out the motive as they search for the person responsible.
Investigators say they can’t find the caller through phone tracking, but they have other ways to find out who that caller is. That person could be charged with a felony.
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