MARINE CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Marine City police said a swatting incident prompted a shelter-in-place for parts of the area on Sunday night.
According to the Marine City Police Department, the St. Clair County Central Dispatch received a call around 6:17 p.m. The caller told dispatch that they had three people bound and held at gunpoint with an AR-15 inside a building in the 400 block of S. Water St., next to the Riviera Restaurant.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report below
The caller also demanded a $50,000 ransom and threatened the lives of the alleged hostages, and later claimed he fired his gun and struck multiple victims.
Police established a command post and law enforcement officers from Michigan State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, ATF, the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office and others responded to the scene.
The shelter-in-place order was issued and crews evacuated neighboring businesses.
About three hours after the call, units using advanced technology, including heat-signature drones, cleared the building and found that the reports were fabricated.
During the situation, the caller continued to harass dispatchers and referred to himself as "Aiden the Reaper."
"These incidents are not pranks; they are dangerous criminal acts that divert critical resources and put our officers and the public at significant risk," Police Chief James D. Heaslip said. "We will work tirelessly with our federal partners to trace the origin of this call and hold the responsible party accountable."
