New Haven police are investigating two hoax calls made by the same person.
The calls reported false incidents on East Street and Foxon Boulevard.
The department's dispatchers received a 911 call at midnight Monday from a man claiming he shot a family member and had two tied up as hostages at 588 Pearl Street. He threatened in the call to kill them, responding police officers and himself.
The second 911 call came at 1:07 a.m. from the same person. The caller told police that he had five hostages and five bombs at 315 Foxon Boulevard and demanded cash in exchange for releasing the hostages, police said. That is the address of Walmart.
Police responded to both locations, "but found nothing related to the calls," police said.
New Haven resident Sophie Richards was woken up to police swarming the area and calling for her upstairs neighbors to come out of the building with their hands up around 2 a.m.
"They had a megaphone and when they came outside it looked like the police had guns outside," Richards told NBC Connecticut.
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Richards watched through her window as her neighbors came outside with their dog and police searched the building. She said that it was "scary" thinking of what her neighbors may have done to warrant the heavy police presence, but that police left within about a half hour. Police said they made contact with the residents and confirmed that everyone was accounted for and safe.
Police continue to investigate the hoax calls and are working to identify the caller who made both calls from the same number, police said.
"The number has also been used to make previous similar threats," police said in a news release on Monday.
Police said they plan to meet with FBI officials Monday about the investigation.
