Prank call sends large police response to Cary home

A prank phone call to a 911 dispatcher sent a large police presence to a Cary home Wednesday afternoon thinking that a shooting had occurred.

A dispatcher received an emergency call from someone claiming to be a 16-year-old resident of the home on Adare Drive and reporting that a shooting had occurred in the residence, police announced Thursday.

The call, which was from an AT&T relay center, was later determined to be unfounded and likely a case of “swatting,” a practice of pranking with the intent of soliciting a SWAT team response.

Police said the caller said he was hiding inside an upstairs room during the response.

Cary police and fire responded to the home along with Fox River Grove police, Oakwood Hills police and the McHenry County sheriff’s emergency response team.

Police set a perimeter up around the home, and after making contact with the actual juvenile resident of the home via cellphone, authorities determined he wasn’t in the home and the call was a prank.

Police entered the home after talking to adult residents and determined there was no danger.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at (847) 639-2341 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 762-7867.