Gainesville zoo evacuated after bomb threat, part of nationwide swatting trend

Gainesville police evacuated the Frank Buck Zoo Sunday afternoon after receiving a bomb threat.

Police received a call at 1:40 p.m. stating a bomb threat had been called in to the zoo. Officers responded and evacuated the area. The Denton Fire Department’s bomb squad assisted in checking the area.

After about two hours, the area was deemed safe and officers cleared the scene.

The department added that in the past few weeks, several zoos across the country have either received bomb threats or fake active shooter calls as part of a growing “swatting” craze. They say swatting is a dangerous criminal hoax in which someone makes a fake emergency call to 911 to intentionally trigger a massive, armed police response at a specific target’s location.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Gainesville Police Department by calling (940) 668-7777, and those wishing to remain anonymous can contact the Crimes Tip Hotline at (940) 612-0000.

Read more: KXII