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A phony caller told police his father had shot his mother and then locked himself in a room at a home behind the White Beeches Golf and Country Club around 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 25, investigators said.
Borough police converged on the scene and summoned a Bergen County Regional SWAT team. A nearby school went into a brief lockdown and an EMS unit remained on standby.
The homeowner emerged with two daughters and the house was checked as a precaution.
The area was cleared and the incident was over in under 20 minutes.
Swatting incidents peaked nationwide about five or six years ago before subsiding somewhat. They’ve increased significantly over the past year or so.
There were two the past week in Wayne alone.
SEE: Wayne PD Probes Second Bogus Shooting Call In A Week From Same Neighborhood
Swatting exacts a toll on innocent residents, which is usually the intent. Often public figures and celebrities are the targets. Sometimes it's simply an effort to tie up law enforcement, authorities say.
Deploying SWAT teams and additional personnel to unsuspecting victims’ homes and businesses -- as well as to schools that end up being locked down -- can put people in danger, they note. It also diverts resources from potential areas of immediate need.
Many of the culprits call from out of state -- and sometimes even out of the country. They use programs that make it seem that the calls are coming from inside a particular house, school or other location.
Dumont police were investigating.
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