Swatting call draws heavy police presence at Loma Linda hospital, report of armed suspect unfounded
LOMA LINDA, Calif. (KABC) -- Reports of a possibly armed suspect at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital that prompted a massive police response Wednesday afternoon resulted to be a swatting call, officials said.
The alleged suspect called 911 and said he was inside the hospital armed, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon D. Dicus.
"The caller called and said that he was armed with an AR-15 and also had a bomb and that [he] was suffering from a mental health crisis and hearing voices and the voices were telling him to do what he was saying he was going to do, which was shoot up the hospital and the patients," said Sheriff Dicus.
The hospital issued a Code Silver, putting the facility on lockdown. A text message reporting an active threat was sent to students and employees on campus and in the medical buildings nearby.
"This is not a drill: Initiate immediate protective actions. If confronted with a threat, RUN, HIDE, FIGHT," the text read in part.
Hospital staff rushed to protect the young patients already suffering illnesses and injuries, making sure doors were locked and patients were safe.
"I don't feel like I was in the right mind but I knew I had to stay right by them," a staff member told Eyewitness News. "There was even family that were locked in so we were trying to deescalate and care for our patients and also remain calm with our own thoughts. So it felt a little overwhelming."
Video from AIR7 showed nearly 200 law enforcement units responding to the scene, causing a gridlock for the surrounding neighborhood.
Radio calls captured the moment authorities got a description of the alleged suspect; "It's a white male last seen wearing black and carrying a duffel bag, advising he wants to shoot people in the facility."
About two hours later, authorities announced the scene was clear and no threat was found. They said the call was a hoax.
"This was a false that appears to be a swatting call and we will 100% go after the suspects," said Sheriff Dicus. "Many of these swatting calls, the suspects mask the IP addresses from places that could be even outside of the United States or in other countries."
The one thing I want the suspect to know, this is the wrong county to do those things in. As you can see the response of our allies tonight, we don't play. And if there is evidence and we can find you, you better watch your door, because we're going to be kicking it.San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon D. Dicus
He added that there is some evidence available on a suspect tied to the hoax call.
Terrified patients, visitors and staff were on lockdown inside the hospital as officers and deputies went floor by floor, room by room searching for any possible suspect.
"I got off my bed, they were already using another bed to barricade it, so they used my bed to barricade the other door too," said Ryan Seip, a 16-year-old patient who was inside the hospital as the incident unfolded. "We were sitting there waiting to see what happened. And then the cops came in with their guns and did a floor sweep."
Robert Seip, Ryan's father, said the hoax call to the children's hospital was a "sick move".
"They're children, they're already helpless and they're sick and broken and trying to heal. Their parents are devastated," he said. "We could've lost our son twice so we're trying to fight this and then they want to come do that. It's a sick move," he said.
There were no reports of shots fired or any injuries. The hospital resumed its normal operations after the scene was cleared.
