Sheriff’s deputies and EMS raced to a South Webster address just after 12:30 a.m. after an elderly woman called 911 saying she heard someone yell that a man had been shot in the chest.
The caller admitted she didn’t know who the victim was — the cry for help had jolted her out of a sound sleep — but the urgency of the report triggered an immediate response. Dispatchers placed EMS on standby until deputies could confirm the scene was safe.
Deputies searched the area thoroughly but found nothing suspicious. EMS was cleared to disregard the call, and no victim was located.
Whether it was a bad dream or someone shouting before disappearing into the night remains unclear, but officials say the call underscores the responsibility law enforcement carries to respond to every report — no matter how uncertain it sounds.
Deputies and EMS crews are trained to treat each call as real until proven otherwise. In this case, they followed protocol, ensuring the area was safe before allowing medics in. Officials say it’s this kind of diligence — checking every call, even those that turn out to be false alarms — that keeps the community safe and prevents tragedy when a report does turn out to be real.
