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Prank ends in SWAT situation at 94-year-old woman’s home

Posted at 11:24 AM, Jun 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-27 13:49:52-04

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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – The SWAT team responded to a call from a person threatening take their own life after they killed their parents only to learn it was a not-so-harmless prank.

West Valley City authorities are asking for your help finding the person responsible for that prank phone call.

Someone claiming he’d shot his parents and was going to kill himself next called authorities at about midnight.

The SWAT team arrived and shut down the area.

When officers approached the house, the person who answered ended up being a 94- year-old woman.

According to West Valley Police, the scene continued to escalate because was the woman was hard of hearing.

Police said they were able to diffuse the situation, enter the home without any damage and were able to keep the situation calm and contained.

“It appears as though that this is a ‘swatting’ incident where someone spoofs a phone number and makes it appear as though there is an emergency and there`s not one,” West Valley Police Lt. Robert Hamilton said. “We were able to make contact with the resident who was a female in her mid 90s who was very scared and upset about what had happened.”

Lt. Hamilton said they’ve had these types of calls before from kids playing jokes on other people but say this has been especially upsetting for them.

If you have any information about the identity of the caller, contact West Valley City Police at (801) 840-4000