SALEM — Heavily armed police descended on a Tremont Street house early Saturday morning for what they believed to be a fatal shooting and likely armed standoff with the shooter.
But it turned out to be a “swatting” incident — a hoax call to police.
Salem police released a statement Saturday afternoon, indicating that they first received a call at 4:56 a.m. to respond to a home in the area of Tremont and School streets where a man had shot and killed his wife. Due to the nature of the call, all available units responded.
The caller identified himself and said he had a gun, which he intended to use to shoot responding officers with at the scene, police said.
Once they arrived, police established a perimeter and made numerous announcements on a PA system and called the suspect’s phone number multiple times.
At 5:50 a.m., a male was observed through the window of the home, they said. At about 6:01 a.m., Salem police dispatchers received a call back from someone who identified a large police presence outside his home.
The dispatcher perceived that the person’s voice sounded different than the original caller. The caller came outside and the home was cleared. It was subsequently determined that it was a swatting incident, police said.
In their statement, Salem police explained that “swatting” is the act of making a false report of an emergency to public safety agencies with the intention of triggering a large-scale response, often involving a SWAT team.
It’s also dangerous to the public and a crime, they said. Salem police are investigating to determine who was responsible for the hoax call.