Report of shooting in Santa Barbara determined to be fake call

[UPDATE – 9:45 p.m.] The Santa Barbara Police Department has determined that the initial call involving a possible fatal shooting and a hostage was a fake phone call.

Police are investigating the incident and trying to determine the source of the call.

It happened around 8 p.m. on Friday night, when police received a report of a homicide with a rifle. A man called dispatchers and told them he killed his father and was going to kill his mother. He said he was holding her hostage inside an apartment on the 200 block of Barranca Avenue.

As officers were responding, police said the caller also told dispatchers that he was going to kill police. That claim prompted a full-scale response, including a BearCat armored vehicle which was never activated.

During a two-hour investigation, officers with rifles were positioned around the neighborhood and making contact with neighbors.

Police searched the primary apartment where the caller said he was holed up with his mother. But, no one was inside. They searched all six apartments within the complex and all were clear.

Officials determined the call was a hoax and are now searching for the suspect who made the false report and kept the Mesa neighborhood on edge for hours.

Police said making this type of false report is a felony.

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[Original Story]

The Santa Barbara Police Department is at the scene of a standoff involving a possible shooting suspect in Santa Barbara.

Shortly before 8:00 p.m., police received a call about a subject who had shot a man with an assault rifle at a residence on the 200 block of Barranca Avenue.

Police are currently on scene and are in communication with the suspect.

Police have rifles drawn and pointed at the residence.

An armored vehicle was seen near the suspect residence.

Residents in the area were seen being escorted out of their home and taken away from the scene.

Police say they have units on scene making sure members of the community are safe as they attempt to ascertain the validity of the call.

Police say the original call may have been fake.

KEYT has a news crew at the scene and we will have more information as it becomes available.