Nash county warns residents about 'swatting' calls

NASH COUNTY (WTVD) -- A 911 call had Nash County Sheriff's deputies along with other state and federal law enforcement on high alert, only to later be revealed as a hoax.

The call turned out to be what authorities call "swatting," which is when someone makes a hoax call to 911 to draw a response from law enforcement, particularly a SWAT team to a random person's home.

In this incident, the caller claimed a suspect shot a family member in the chest with an AR-15 and was holding three individuals hostage inside of the victim's house.

The caller also indicated the shooter made some demands and issued threats against law enforcement officers.

Nash County Detectives are working to identify the person who made the call.

Authorities want to remind the public that making these types of calls is illegal and can result in a class 1 misdemeanor.