SCHUYLER, N.Y. – Police were called to a home on Blossom Lane in the town of Schuyler Tuesday morning for what they say was a ‘swatting’ incident.
According to 911.gov, 'swatting' is falsely reporting an emergency to a public safety agency, like 911, with the intent of getting a SWAT team to go to a location where no emergency exists.
Utica Police Department received a call to its seven-digit line at 3:47 a.m. Tuesday, which was forwarded to Oneida County 911.
The caller identified himself as Casey Hernandez, and said he was depressed and shot his mother in the face. He then told the dispatcher he had two sisters, ages 8 and 9, tied up in the bathroom and was going to shoot them. He also said he had a pipe bomb in his possession.
According to New York State Police, the caller gave 911 an address on Blossom Lane near Country Lane, claiming the residence was in Utica, but couldn’t name any nearby landmarks when asked.
The dispatchers determined the address given was actually in the town of Schuyler in Herkimer County, and sent police officers, the Special Operations Response Team, the Bomb Disposal Unit, crisis negotiators and members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to the Strawberry Hills Mobile Home Park.
Authorities say a 77-year-old woman lived in the home, and said there weren’t any issues at the residence, and she didn’t know anyone named Casey Hernandez.
Police determined this was a 'swatting' incident, and the case is now being investigated by the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Herkimer.
