Police officers in Wichita, Kansas, said an April Fools’ joke on Thursday could have ended up with someone being hurt.
“Officers responded at around 8:30 a.m. to a 911 call of a woman shot in her home in the 4800 block of East Arlene, near 21st and Oliver,” KAKE reported.
According to Lt. Ron Hunt, a woman identified as Arnthia Willis, 58, called her daughter and told her she had been shot, then hung up the phone.
“I got a call from my mom, and she was like, ‘He shot me! He shot me!'” the daughter explained.
“Police spokesperson Charley Davidson said officers surrounded the home, blocked streets and tried to make contact with anyone inside. When no one responded to them, officers broke down the door and found no one inside,” the KAKE report stated.
That was when the daughter learned her mom was still at work and the whole incident had been an April Fools joke.
“There was a text message from that same number that said, ‘April Fools, girl,'” a first responder was apparently heard saying over the radio.
Another officer at the scene said the initial situation was tense and escalated “because we don’t know what’s on the other side of the door.”
Officers eventually located Willis in nearby Derby and took her into custody, according to KXAN.
Authorities said the alleged crime is “unlawful request for emergency service assistance” and when officers are through investigating, the case will be presented to the district attorney’s office.
Willis’ name is listed on the first page of the Wichita Police Department’s arrest summary for April 1.
Her daughter told reporters the police department takes emergency calls from citizens very seriously, adding, “This is on you, mom.”
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