Swatting Call Forces Evacuation Of Walmart In East Brunswick

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - A swatting call forced the local Walmart to evacuate as authorities conducted an investigation on Thursday, East Brunswick Police said.

On Thursday, around 2:53 p.m., the East Brunswick Police Department received a 911 call from an unknown person reporting a bomb in the men’s restroom at the Walmart Supercenter.

Officers immediately responded to Walmart and as a precaution, management decided to evacuate the building, police said.

A thorough search was conducted with help from the K9 unit from the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities then determined there was no threat, and it was deemed to be a “swatting” incident, police said.

"Swatting” is a term used to describe a hoax call made to emergency services, typically reporting an immediate threat to human life, to draw a response from law enforcement and the S.W.A.T. team to a specific location.

The East Brunswick Police Department takes “swatting” incidents seriously and continues to investigate this matter. No further information is available.

Anyone with information about this incident may contact the East Brunswick Police Department Investigative Division at 732-390-6990.

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