Police search for caller who made false report of Berwyn shooting, prompting school lockdowns

Police are searching for a caller who made a false report of a shooting Friday morning in west suburban Berywn, prompting lockdowns of nearby schools.

Someone called 911 about 11 a.m. to report that he shot his mother after an argument at a home in the 1300 block of Gunderson Avenue, Berwyn police said in a statement.

Nearby homes and schools were placed on “soft lockdown” while officers responded, but the call was determined to be a hoax, police said.

The occupants of the home, a boy and his aunt, did not know about the call and had not been arguing, police said.

Police traced the caller’s number to a “burner” phone, police said.

“At this time, we are classifying this matter as a ‘swatting’ incident, called in with the intention of wasting police resources and inconveniencing the residents of the affected area,” police said in the statement.

An investigation is ongoing, police said.