Police say threat not credible after full response and rooftop drone search
CITRUS HEIGHTS — A Target store on Sunrise Boulevard was evacuated shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday after a 911 caller reported a person armed with a sniper rifle on a nearby rooftop, triggering a significant law enforcement response before the threat was ultimately determined to be unfounded.
Officers with the Citrus Heights Police Department responded to the store at 5837 Sunrise Blvd. following the report of a possible armed individual. As a precaution, authorities cleared customers and employees from the building while officers secured the area and began searching for any potential threat.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the response as patrol units converged on the busy Sunrise Boulevard shopping corridor. Law enforcement also deployed drone technology to examine nearby rooftops and surrounding areas to ensure no suspect was present.
In a statement posted to social media, Citrus Heights police said officers responded to the reported threat at the Target on Sunrise Boulevard and, “Out of an abundance of caution, the store was safely evacuated.” The department added that after investigating, “The threat was determined not credible, and is being investigated as a ‘swatting’ hoax.”
Authorities confirmed that after a thorough sweep of the building and surrounding area, no armed individual was located and no credible danger to the public was found.
The incident marked the second non-credible active shooter report in the region Saturday. Earlier in the day, a large law enforcement response was triggered at Sierra-at-Tahoe after a report of a possible active shooter, which authorities also later determined to be unfounded and under investigation as a hoax.
Swatting incidents involve false emergency reports intended to prompt a significant police response. Such hoaxes can divert critical public safety resources, create fear among residents and businesses, and place both officers and members of the public at unnecessary risk.
No injuries were reported in the Citrus Heights incident, and the store was cleared once officers determined there was no active threat. The investigation into the source of the call remains ongoing.
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