An incident in Delaware county that resulted in the evacuation of a public building for a short time is evidence of what is the modern-day equivalent of the parlor-game “Telephone.”  In the game, one person starts by whispering a word or phrase to the next person in a line of participants and by the end of the line, the message, most likely, is drastically different.

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Authorities in Delaware County say they have determined reports about threats to public safety in the county that have been circulating on social media are unfounded.  A posting on the Village of Delhi Police Facebook page says they found reports that someone threatened to shoot people at the courthouse started as a somewhat casual conversation in Walton.

According to the police, a person made a remark that, after many retellings of the conversation, turned into a perceived threat that, again, was passed along on social media.

The posted information claiming someone planned to “shoot up” the Delhi courthouse caused enough alarm that, at around 110:30 in the morning on Wednesday, July 13, a caller dialed 911 to alert authorities.

The 911 Center notified Delhi Police and the courthouse area was evacuated and law enforcement officials began locking down nearby buildings.

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Investigators say the information relayed to the 911 center ‘did not accurately represent the statements the subject had made.’

The evacuations and lockdowns were lifted once authorities confirmed there was no public threat.

Authorities say, while this incident turned out to be nothing, the person who dialed 911 did the right thing.  Threats on social media are taken seriously and anyone with concerns should notify their local authorities immediately.

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