On May 3, 2023, at approximately 4:21 P.M., the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office responded to 608 Smith Street in Grand Mound, for a report of an individual being shot and two other individuals being held hostage. When deputies arrived on scene, the area around the home was immediately secured and the deputies worked quickly to verify the accuracy of the information provided in the call to the 911 Center. Upon further investigation, including information provided by numerous witnesses, the call was believed to be unsubstantiated. Deputies made contact with the occupants in the apartment building, verifying they were uninjured and no crime had occurred within the property. The occupants were quickly and safely returned to their homes.
Preliminary investigations have led investigators to believe this incident was a “Swatting Incident”, where individuals report heinous crimes to law enforcement, with the intent to generate a significant law enforcement response to an unwitting person, home or location. The case remains under investigation by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Clinton Police Department, DeWitt Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Grand Mound Fire Department, Clinton County Emergency Management, Med-Force Air Ambulance and Genesis Ambulance.
