Police are clearing out of a west Cary neighborhood off Carpenter Fire Station Road near NC-540 after responding to what they called a "false alarm."
Few details have been released about what police were responding to, but the initial call went out as a shooting around 3:55 a.m. and sparked a rapid and large response. Cary police said there was no shooting.
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WRAL is working to learn if police believe the incident was part of a "swatting" call. It's a trend that shows no signs of stopping, which prank callers do to prompt a SWAT raid at the home of another person, either as revenge or for amusement. Police say these prank calls are incredibly harmful and they take them very seriously because it diverts officers who need to be on patrol or respond to real crimes.
The WRAL Breaking News Tracker arrived near the scene where authorities blocked off access at the entrance of the Cameron Pond neighborhood. We saw Cary police officers putting on what appeared to be tactical gear. Police asked media to remain far from the active scene for safety reasons.
Broadcastify radio traffic provided insight on the nature of the call that police responded to:
Argument occurred, caller advised they shot their mother.
Suspect is currently barricaded, we are flying a drone in now.
WRAL News has requested recordings of any 911 calls related to the incident from the town of Cary.
A firefighter in a truck waiting outside the neighborhood said fire and EMS were being staged there in case medical assistance was needed. They said they were waiting for law enforcement to clear a house.
Fire and EMS later left the scene, and police began clearing the scene around 5:20 a.m.