Plains Township street opens after gunman not found

**normanvin** · June 3rd, 2011, 02:03 PM

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Repo...-Township.html

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-luz-plains-...,2511080.story

**fastfive0** · June 3rd, 2011, 05:07 PM

So they close a street, send in the "swat" teams all because a random call from an out of service prepaid cell phone! Awesome, hope the guy carrying his shotgun to his buddy's house a block away got a kick outta this. And of course "gunshots" were heard after seeing the guy.

**zackattack784** · June 3rd, 2011, 05:11 PM

Since when is walking around with a gun illegal????

**normanvin** · June 3rd, 2011, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by fastfive0

So they close a street, send in the "swat" teams all because a random call from an out of service prepaid cell phone! Awesome, hope the guy carrying his shotgun to his buddy's house a block away got a kick outta this. And of course "gunshots" were heard after seeing the guy.

You forgot about the helicopter.

This place is about five minutes from my house.

**anonymouse** · June 3rd, 2011, 07:53 PM

Police wanted to question the person who first called 911 but it's been challenging because that caller used a TRAC phone with expired minutes and which could only dial 911.

The school was locked down this morning after an anonymous person called 911 from a cell phone reporting a man was walking down Abbott Street with a rifle yelling on a cell phone, said Plains Township Police Officer Mike Augustine. The cell phone had no subscriber information and police were unable to trace the call because it came back to a dead cell phone.

Augustine said they attempted to trace the cell phone call, and it came back to a dead cell phone, possibly a prepaid cell phone.

So they can't trace prepaid cell phones that don't have any minutes?

When police arrived, they heard two shots in an area near the school, he said.

<snip>

None of the neighbors reported seeing the man, said Plains Township Police Chief James O'Malley. One resident said he heard "popping sounds," but O'Malley said police are "not even sure they were shots."

"We searched the area the best we could," O'Malley said. "It was canvassed really close."

Sources:
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Repo...-Township.html
http://citizensvoice.com/lockdown-li...ifle-1.1156855
http://www.wnep.com/wnep-luz-plains-...,2511080.story

**mollymayhem82** · June 3rd, 2011, 08:01 PM

Isn't there a gunshop in that area? Maybe the guy was walking hime after buying a rifle. And it's not easy to trace cell phones. The most police can do is find the closest tower the signal bounced off of, even if the phone is on, and active.

**normanvin** · June 4th, 2011, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by mollymayhem82

Isn't there a gunshop in that area? Maybe the guy was walking hime after buying a rifle. And it's not easy to trace cell phones. The most police can do is find the closest tower the signal bounced off of, even if the phone is on, and active.

No gun shops there.

**normanvin** · June 4th, 2011, 03:57 AM

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Sear...6-03-2011.html

**Brudog** · June 4th, 2011, 01:08 PM

Man, I must be living in a bubble. I never even heard this was happening.

I wonder if this will impact how many people ask me why I carry a gun. I think it is becoming more and more obvious why.