UPDATE: According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, a report of an active shooter at the Walmart in Ephrata was false and was the result of swatting.
Swattering is the practice of reporting a fake emergency to authorities in order to get a reaction, and it is typically done in order to harass those who are present at the location where the false incident was reported to have occurred.
According to a statement released by the Graham County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), “There is no active shooter at the Ephrata Walmart; a false report (swatting) occurred and caused the rumor to grow.” Once more, there is no active shooter at the Walmart in Ephrata. There is no criticism directed at any of the other regional Walmarts.
Sarah Morford, the Director of Communications for the Ephrata School system, stated that the school system had secured campuses as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of both students and staff, despite the fact that the allegation turned out to be incorrect.
There was a threat of domestic violence at the Walmart in Ephrata today at approximately 12:40, which resulted in a significantly increased police presence at the location. In order to provide assistance to the Ephrata Police Department, officers and deputies from adjacent agencies responded to the scene.
Their further actions included searching and clearing the store. After the store was emptied out and confirmed safe, there was no threat found in the area. Due to the extreme level of caution that was exercised, schools were placed under lockdown.
It is a relief to the Ephrata Police Department that everyone is safe, and they are grateful for the invaluable relationship they have with their law enforcement partners, which allows them to respond and evaluate this issue in a timely manner.
