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A massive, armed police response flocked to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Wednesday evening after receiving a call about a possible active shooter.
The caller reportedly told law enforcement officials that he was armed and in front of the bomb and planned to “shoot” everyone inside.
Not realising the call was a prank, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s department was fully responding, “actively liquidating” the facility via social media, informing the public that the area should be avoided.
“We have workphones. They said this is not a drill, this is true,” a staff member at the evacuated hospital told reporters.
It took nearly two hours to clear the facility and determine that there was no threat. Luckily, no one was injured during the ordeal, but at least two people were killed due to a “swatting” call in the US.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies on the scene of a “swatting” call at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on March 12, 2025 (onscene.tv) A “swatting” call at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on March 12, 2025.
A retired Secret Service agent said criminal justice expert Bobby McDonald’s “swatting” calls could lead to unintended consequences.
“It brings a level of excitement to the person who called it, but many people can get in the way of injuries and harm,” he explained to KTLA’s Samasa Cortez. “It’s extremely dangerous for everyone involved, doctors, nurses, police and others because police are zooming at high speed during rush hour.”
McDonald’s also characterized the “swatting” call as an expensive waste of emergency resources.
“It’s a laborious and in-depth process to ensure that police are comfortable providing the doctors, nurses and children undergoing treatment at the location,” he explained.
He had been sending a mischievous message about San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dykas.
“One thing I want this suspect to know is that this is the wrong county to do those things,” he told reporters.
Investigators have led who is responsible for the dangerous stunts and said penalties for such cases could include felony charges, prison time and heavy fines.
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