Police say Crownsville shooting report a hoax

To the untrained ear, the Oct. 12 call to a Sears Service Center in North Carolina, from a woman claiming to have been shot in Crownsville, sounded sincere.

But detectives gave the recording of the frantic phone conversation a listen. And their trained ears led them to believe the report was an elaborate prank.

Investigators say the call, which tied up 48 officers for more than an hour, is being investigated as a hoax.

Detectives with the Western District Station have taken over the case and are following a few leads, said Lt. James Fredericks, a county police spokesman.

After the alleged "victim" called the Sears store, an employee called 911, which went to Charlotte-area dispatchers. That call was then rerouted to 911 dispatchers in Anne Arundel County.

Police received the call around 11 a.m., and the employee told a dispatcher he was on another line with a woman who called the center claiming she had been shot.

The Sears employee remained on the line, relaying information from the woman and what he could hear in the background of the call to 911 dispatchers, Fredericks said. The details given to police from the Sears employee made officers believe they were investigating a possible homicide.

At some point, the woman gave the Sears employee an address in the 1300 block of Generals Highway near Fairfield Loop Road in Anne Arundel County. Dozens of police officers swarmed the Crownsville area, shutting down Generals Highway from Bestgate Road to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Golf Course. Police stopped all vehicles in the area and searched all trunks and hatchbacks. Armed officers searched wooded areas and homes that lined the roadways. A police helicopter and K9 unit joined in the search.

"…The potential was that there may have been a wounded victim in the area and officers wanted to ensure that no stone was left unturned," said Justin Mulcahy, a county police spokesman.

In the end, no victim or crime scene was found.

Fredericks said the Sears service worker relayed several out-of-state phone numbers to dispatchers. Police continue to work with various phone companies to verify the phone numbers and track down potential suspects.

The call to the Sears Service Center was recorded by the business for quality assurance. Police got a copy of the recorded conversation. Fredericks said "police ears" better picked up on clues that the call was a hoax.

He said the Sears employee was "not in on the prank." "The call-taker sounded genuinely concerned about what was going on," he said.

Fredericks said police do have some leads in the case and are working to find those responsible for a waste of county resources.

A cost estimate of the manpower, helicopter and other resources used in response to the apparent hoax was not yet available.

The state's attorney's office is looking into what criminal charges may apply to this circumstance, said spokeswoman Kristin Fleckenstein.