Hoax Shooting Call Brings SWAT And Armored Truck To Quiet Muskogee Block

A usually quiet stretch of Muskogee turned into a full-on police staging area Thursday evening, after a 911 caller claimed someone had been shot and an armed suspect was still inside a home in the 300 block of South N Street, authorities said. Officers rushed in, searched the residence and found everyone inside unharmed, while an armored vehicle waited nearby as they made contact and cleared the scene.

According to Fox23, the Muskogee Police Department received the report around 6:30 p.m. and initially handled it as a possible hostage situation. The caller claimed a victim had been shot and that a person inside the home was armed with a rifle, triggering the large law-enforcement response. Once officers spoke with residents, they concluded there was no active threat.

Police: Call Was A 'Swatting' Hoax

The Muskogee Police Department later determined the call was a hoax commonly known as "swatting" and confirmed that the people in the home were OK. "This type of hoax has occurred across the country and is not new to our agency," the department said, praising residents for staying calm and cooperative during what turned out to be an unnecessary and potentially dangerous incident, per Fox23. The department said the case remains under investigation and asked anyone with information to call 918-683-8000.

Why Swatting Is Dangerous

Swatting, the act of placing a false emergency call to provoke a tactical police response, can be deadly and also pulls limited public-safety resources away from real emergencies, the FBI warns. The bureau’s public service announcement notes that threat actors often use spoofing and other tools to hide who they are, and that targets can range from private citizens to public officials, according to the FBI.

Legal Consequences And Wider Trend

News outlets and law-enforcement officials have reported an increase in hoax emergency calls in recent years, and some states have responded by tightening penalties for false reports. Reporting by The Associated Press describes how lawmakers in several states have pursued tougher laws following high-profile swatting incidents.

Muskogee police say the incident is still under active investigation and again urged anyone with information to contact the department at 918-683-8000, a number listed in the city’s police directory, according to the Muskogee Police Department directory.