BERKELEY — Police in Berkeley Township are investigating what authorities believe was a swatting call that triggered a heavy emergency response in the Holiday City section of the township.
Officers were dispatched at about 8 a.m. on March 20 after receiving a report of gunfire and injured victims at a home, with information suggesting the suspected caller might then head to Lacey Township to commit additional crimes, according to a post on the Berkeley Township Police Facebook page.
Multiple police units responded to the home. Officers made contact with the homeowner and quickly went inside to address what was believed to be an active threat. Police soon determined there were no injured victims and that no violent incident had taken place at the residence.
At the same time, investigators identified a Forked River address tied to the call. Lacey Township police responded there and also found no emergency, authorities said.
Police later concluded the report was likely a swatting incident, a false emergency call intended to prompt a large law enforcement response. Investigators have begun efforts to identify where the call originated and who made it.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Berkeley Township Police Department at 732-341-6600.
