BELFAST — Saturday, Jan. 14, at 5:39 p.m., Belfast Police received a 911 call of a reported shooting, and death, at a Union Street address in Belfast. Racing to the home, police found confused occupants and no signs of violence. The whole incident was a hoax.

According to Police Chief Robert Cormier, a male had called Waldo County Emergency Dispatch reporting that he shot his brother and that his brother was dead.

Dispatch then notified units to respond to the reported shooting while keeping the caller on the phone. While units were enroute, dispatch updated the responding units that they could hear gunshots over the phone.

The caller had said he just shot his brother again and that he would not come out if asked by police and that he was still armed.

Once officers arrived at the scene, they called into the house and had the occupants come outside for their safety, which they did. While speaking with the residents, the male caller ended the call with dispatch by saying the call was a hoax and then hung up.

Officers checked the interior of the house and after speaking with the residents who cooperated fully, they confirmed the call was unfounded.

The investigation has shifted to locating the source of the call.

“If the person is located, they will face criminal charges,” said Cormier, in a news release. “It is a crime in Maine to make a false call to 911, creating ‘False Public Alarm’. These calls can put both the community and officers at risk and impact resources for legitimate emergency calls. If you become the target of one of these hoax calls, it is important to remember, police take these types of calls very seriously and must investigate them fully when they arrive. Your cooperation when they arrive is extremely important to resolve them safely.”

Cormier has asked the public for any information about the incident, and that the Belfast Police Department be contacted, 207-338-2040.