D.M. police looking for caller who made fake shooting report

Detectives will investigate who made a fake shooting report that brought several emergency vehicles to a southeast Des Moines mobile home park Thursday evening.

Emergency personnel responded to a shooting report at a mobile home park in the 6900 block of Southeast 14th Street shortly before 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

A male caller had told dispatchers he shot his girlfriend and had his niece tied up, Lt. Joseph Leo said. The caller had also told dispatchers that he would shoot himself and his niece if he saw police.

Leo listened as the dispatchers described the information the caller had given them. He said the information was "not adding up" and that made him question the legitimacy of the call.

Officers arrived at the mobile home park and set up a parameter around the suspected trailer. Authorities tried to make contact with the reporting person by phone, but they didn't have a phone number to contact him.

When Leo arrived on scene, he and another officer approached the mobile home and knocked on the door. A woman opened the door and had no idea about what was going on.

"We went in and cleared her house, and asked her if anyone was in the house that should be there and she said no," Leo said. "It was basically just a fake trip, or a fake call, but we took it very seriously."

False calls tie up public safety resources that would otherwise be going to actual emergencies. By causing a fire station to send a medical unit to Thursday's fake shooting report, the caller "put the other residents in that area at jeopardy," Leo said.

"If somebody there was in true, dire straits of medical attention, (the fire department) would then have to divert another medical unit or another rescue from another station," Leo said.

The case will go to detectives, who will try to determine who made the fake call. Charges could be brought against the caller.