HULL, Mass. — The Hull Police Department is actively investigating an incident of “swatting” on Friday night.
“Swatting” is defined as “the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address,” and has been recognized as a criminal phenomenon by the FBI.
On April 1st, at approximately 9:50 p.m., Hull Police received a 911 call stating the caller had murdered their mother and father and were refusing to come out of a house on Nantucket Avenue.
Out of an abundance of caution, police, fire and emergency personnel all responded to the area, including mutual aid from the Hingham, Cohasset, Norwell and Scituate Police Departments.
A reverse 911 call was sent out to residents to shelter in place and avoid the area, as is proper procedure. Nantasket Avenue was shut down while police responded.
An initial investigation determined that the residents of the home were inside and unharmed. Police were able to enter the home and confirm it was secure.
The shelter in place was lifted at approximately 11:00 p.m. after determining the call was a hoax.
At this time, the call is not believed to have originated from any persons from or with ties to Hull.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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