La Crosse police respond to 'swatting' call at hospital
LA CROSSE, Wis. (FOX 9) - La Crosse police say they responded to a late-night emergency call at the Emplify Health hospital that turned out to be a "swatting" call.
Swatting at Emplify Health
What we know:
La Crosse police say they were called to Emplify Health by Gundersen shortly before 11 p.m. on Saturday for the report of a suspicious person with a gun. The caller claimed the incident was unfolding outside the emergency room.
However, police say they ultimately determined this was a "swatting" call – a false 911 call meant to spark a large police response. However, officers said, out of an abundance of caution, "all necessary resources were deployed" until police could verify the swatting call.
Big picture view:
The La Crosse swatting call comes on the heels of another swatting call at a hospital in Rice Lake last Thursday. In that incident, a caller claimed two men were headed to Marshfield Medical Center to "shoot up the place."
That call prompted a lockdown at the hospital. Rice Lake police said they were working to investigate the call.
What's next:
La Crosse police are also investigating the swatting call, and working to identify the suspect involved.