Swatting call about possible armed person at San Bernardino hospital sparks massive police presence
KABC chopper over Loma Linda University Medical Center. Via KABC.
(LOS ANGELES) — Reports of a possibly armed person at a San Bernardino, California, hospital sparked a massive law enforcement response Wednesday evening, but authorities later cleared the scene and said it appeared to be the result of a “swatting” call.
The incident began unfolding at the Loma Linda University Hospital Center in the San Bernardino area, east of Los Angeles, around 6:15 p.m. local time.
The Bernardo County Sheriff’s Office said in an post on X it was aware of “reports of a possible armed individual” at the hospital and said deputies were on scene and working to clear the facility.
Police and fire department vehicles surrounded the facility and news helicopters hovered nearby.
About two hours later, authorities said the scene had been cleared.
No shots were fired.
“There are no reported injuries, and the incident appears to be a swatting call,” the sheriff’s office said.
A swatting call refers to an intentional false report to authorities intending to cause a large law enforcement presence.
(FRISCO, Texas) — A 17-year-old student charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of another student at a track meet allegedly confessed to the killing and officers say he told them he was protecting himself, according to the arrest report.
The incident occurred Wednesday morning at a Frisco Independent School District stadium during a track and field championship involving multiple schools in the district.
Austin Metcalf, 17, an 11th grader at Frisco Memorial High School, died after police said another student stabbed him during an altercation in the bleachers at the meet.
The suspect in the deadly stabbing — Karmelo Anthony, a student at Frisco Centennial High School — has been charged with first-degree murder, police said.
One officer who responded to the scene said Anthony told him unprompted, without being asked any questions about the incident, “I was protecting myself,” according to the arrest report.
When the officer advised another responding officer that he had “the alleged suspect,” Anthony reportedly responded, “I’m not alleged, I did it,” according to the arrest report.
As he was walking toward the squad car, Anthony “was emotional,” reportedly saying unprompted, “He put his hands on me, I told him not to,” according to the arrest report. Once in the back seat, he also reportedly asked if Metcalf was “going to be OK,” according to the report.
Anthony “made another spontaneous statement” and reportedly asked an officer if what happened “could be considered self-defense,” according to the arrest report. Another officer reported that the suspect was “crying hysterically” while being walked away from the stadium, the report said.
Anthony is being held in the Collin County jail on $1 million bond, court records show. When reached for comment on Friday, his attorney told ABC News he had been on the case for only a few hours and needed to catch up.
Anthony’s father told ABC News on Thursday that they do not have a statement to make at this time.
The stabbing occurred under the Memorial High School tent in the stadium bleachers at approximately 10 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the arrest report.
Responding officers say they spoke to multiple witnesses, including one who reported that the altercation began after Metcalf told Anthony to move out from under their team’s tent, according to the arrest report.
The witness reported that Anthony allegedly reached inside his bag and said, “Touch me and see what happens,” according to the arrest report.
According to a witness, Metcalf grabbed Anthony to move him, and Anthony allegedly pulled out what the witness described as a black knife and “stabbed Austin once in the chest and then ran away,” the arrest report stated.
An officer recovered a bloody knife in the bleachers, according to the report.
Metcalf was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the arrest report.
His twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, was also at the meet and spoke to officers at the scene. He said that after his brother told Anthony he had to leave the tent because he didn’t go to Memorial, the two “went back and forth and then Austin stood up and pushed the male to get him out of the tent,” according to the arrest report.
“I tried to whip around as fast as I could, but I didn’t see the stab,” Hunter Metcalf told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. “It was really senseless. I don’t know why a person would do that to someone, just over that little argument.”
The track meet has been postponed to Monday and will be held at a new location, WFAA reported. Frisco ISD will share more details on updated security measures with families, according to the station.
(NEW YORK) — A four-day, once-in-a-generation weather event turned deadly on day 1 on Wednesday — and the risk for destructive storms and tornadoes will continue on Thursday, and the threat of flooding will increase.
Here’s what you need to know:
Wednesday
The rare weather event began Wednesday with a tornado outbreak that led to at least 20 reported tornadoes from Arkansas to Indiana.
Matt Ziegler documented the moment a tornado ripped through his town of Lake City, Arkansas.
“I’ve always heard that they sound like a train on a track, but to be honest with you, it was eerily quiet,” he told ABC News. “If you weren’t looking, you wouldn’t know that there was a major tornado just a field over from us.”
At least four weather-related fatalities have been confirmed in Tennessee, according to state officials.
The governors of Tennessee and Kentucky have declared states of emergency.
“We are facing one of the most serious weather events we’ve had forecast,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned on social media. “Please stay alert, take all precautions, and be prepared.”
Thursday
On Thursday, the severe weather risk is a level 3 out of 5, bringing the chance for a few strong tornadoes from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Tennessee.
The flooding threat ramps up on Thursday as the system begins to stall and dump heavy rain over the same areas.
Overall, more than 38 million people are under a general flood watch until Sunday morning, spanning 11 states from Arkansas to Ohio including the cities of Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis; and Cleveland.
Public schools in Nashville, Tennessee, are closed on Thursday.
A particularly dangerous situation, or PDS, flood watch is in effect until Sunday morning for about 4 million people in parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Cities in the PDS flood watch include Memphis; Little Rock; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Union City, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Evansville, Indiana.
On Thursday, a rare high risk (level 4 of 4) warning for excessive rainfall is in effect in northeast Arkansas, northwest Tennessee, as well as Memphis, and western Kentucky.
Friday
Friday’s severe weather threat is a level 3 of 5 for nearly all of Arkansas, with strong tornadoes possible.
A moderate risk (level 3 of 4) for excessive rainfall is in place for Friday from just east of Dallas to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Springfield, Missouri, to St. Louis.
Saturday
Saturday’s severe weather threat is a level 3 of 5 for Arkansas, Louisiana, western Mississippi and eastern Texas, with strong tornadoes possible.
For flooding, a rare high risk threat is in effect on Saturday from Memphis to Jonesboro to Evansville.
Rain totals
The four-day event will dump 10 to 15 inches of rain or more over the area from Jonesboro to Paducah.
Seven to 10 inches of rain is possible from Little Rock to Memphis to Louisville to Cincinnati.
The system will finally move east Sunday afternoon, bringing rain to the Southeast on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
(NEW YORK) — Powerful winds and wildfire warnings persist in several states, with some areas still fighting existing flames, as a new cross-country storm emerges in the Pacific Northwest on Friday.
Red flag warnings are in place for areas in the Southwest, including New Mexico and north-central Texas, where wind gusts will reach up to 40 mph on Friday paired with a relative humidity down to 10%.
Firefighters have continued to battle the Gail Fire in New Mexico, which has burned 238 acres and is 10% contained, officials said on Thursday.
The southern half of Missouri and northern half of Arkansas also face red flag warnings on Friday, with wind gusts up to 45 mph and a relative humidity of 20% to 25%.
According to the Arkansas Forestry Division, 96 wildfires statewide have been contained, but four new wildfires are active.
“We are mobilizing all resources and working closely with local, state and federal partners,” the forestry division said in a statement on Friday.
Southeast Florida also remains under fire weather alerts, with red flag warnings in place from Orlando to Stuart and elevated fire dangers from West Palm Beach down to Miami. The humidity will be as low as 20% in these parts of the state, creating ideal conditions for existing fires to spread.
In Miami-Dade County, a fire has burned 25,000 acres and is 30% contained, officials said. It is burning in largely unoccupied parts of the Everglades.
Along with the threat of wildfires, other parts of the country will experience frigid temperatures, with central Mississippi, nearly all of Alabama and most of Georgia under frost and freeze warnings on Friday.
As the weekend progresses, a new cross-country storm will bring strong winds to the Midwest, heavy snow to the North and severe storms to the South.
The storm will begin with rain and mountain snow throughout the Pacific Northwest on Friday. Oregon is expected to be hit with 10 inches of snow in the mountains during the day and into the evening Friday. Idaho and western Montana should expect 8 to 16 inches of snow Friday night into Saturday morning.
By Sunday, strong to severe winds of up to 40 to 60 mph are expected across the Great Plains and upper Midwest, creating a threat for dust storms, ground blizzards and the destruction of power lines and trees.
