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'Swatting' incident at Hartford Walmart leads to precautionary evacuation

Shoppers were seen loaded onto buses

HARTFORD, Conn. — Police said a phony bomb threat aimed at a Hartford Walmart is believed to be a 'swatting' incident. 

According to police, the call came in this morning to the Walmart Supercenter on Flatbush Avenue. The store was evacuated as a precaution as the bomb squad investigated. 

Police said the incident was deemed 'erroneous' and that the store was then opened back up. 

According to investigators, the incident appears to be a 'swatting' incident. 

The National 911 Program defines swatting as someone false reporting an emergency to public safety, trying to get a "SWAT team" response to a location where no emergency exists. 

The caller in a swatting situation usually reports that they are involved, or nearby as a witness to a home invasion, active shooter, or hostage situation attempting to muster a large police response. 

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