‘Active shooter’ call to Overland Park police was a hoax; now a man is charged

A 46-year-old Grandview man is in jail, accused of a making a “swatting” call in Overland Park.

Morayonla Olubori Sholaja is charged in Johnson County District Court with one count of giving a false alarm. He is accused of calling 911 with a false claim of an “active shooter” in the area of 135th Street and Metcalf Avenue.

The felony charge stems from an incident last Nov. 7 when 911 dispatchers received a call that an armed man was threatening people.

The call prompted a robust police response, as more than a dozen officers with weapons drawn arrived in the area.

Several schools were put on lockdown while police investigated before it was determined that the call was a hoax.

A warrant charging Sholaja in the case was issued in April, according to Johnson County court records.

He was arrested in Missouri last week and brought to Johnson County on Monday after waiving his right to fight extradition.

He is being held on a bond of $50,000 and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

Court records detailing a possible motive are not yet publicly available.

Such false calls are known as “swatting,” and there have been incidents around the country, including one in Wichita last December that resulted in an innocent man getting killed by police.

Overland Park police spokesman Officer John Lacy said such incidents are serious business.

“If you make a prank call like that we will pursue criminal charges,” Lacy said.

This story was originally published October 9, 2018 at 9:29 AM.