San Rafael, CA – The San Rafael Police Department is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies after receiving an emergency phone call from a person stating that a school shooting occurred at a local high school.  During the response to the reported incident, it was learned that the emergency call was part of a series of hoax calls made throughout California and the United States.

On 04/04/2023, just after 2:00 PM, SRPD Dispatchers received an emergency call from a person stating that a shooting had just taken place at a school and that students were injured.  Upon receiving the call, the dispatchers immediately noticed inconsistencies between what had been reported and the tone of the caller making the report.

To err on the side of caution, the police department responded to the school and began investigating.  It was quickly determined that no such emergency had taken place and that all students and faculty were safe and accounted for.

SRPD Officers and Detectives began investigating the source of the call and quickly determined that the hoax call was one of many made across California and the United States.  Detectives reached out to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to determine the identity of the suspect(s) responsible for the call.

“False calls cause needless emotional trauma to our community and tie up first responder resources that need to be available for real emergencies and community needs,” said Lieutenant Scott Eberle.  

The person(s) responsible for making the call could face charges of making a false police report, nuisance calling a 911 dispatch center, and interfering with the ability to receive real emergency calls.  Additionally, false calls of this nature endanger the public and the emergency personnel responding.  Due to the risks associated, false calls are investigated and forwarded to the Marin County District Attorney for the prosecution of the offenders.