How two bogus stories — over a shooting and kidnapping — led to a chaotic day in Coral Springs

CORAL SPRINGS — Throngs of people dealt with a worrisome start to the day Wednesday when police swarmed communities, schools went on lock down and important class tests were postponed — all over a reported shooting and kidnapping that police say were a bunch of lies.

In one case, a man claimed someone shot him. In a separate instance, a 15-year-old girl claimed she had been abducted. But police determined there was no shooter or kidnapping at all.

The chaos began about 5 a.m. when a woman called 911 to report her teenage sister said she was abducted at gunpoint and taken away in the woman’s car, according to Coral Springs Deputy Police Chief Brad McKeone.

Police soon found out that the teenager took her sister’s car, McKeone said. It appeared she made up the kidnapping story to cover her tracks.

About 6 a.m., Coral Springs police were called to a home about a quarter-mile away, near Northwest 108th Way and 107th Avenue, off Coral Springs Drive and Westview Drive. A man there reported he had been shot by an armed individual, according to police.

There was a large police presence in Coral Springs following reports of a shooting and kidnapping that were ultimately false, officials said. (Joe Cavaretta)

Police fanned out around the Classics at Kensington community for hours in the search for a gunman.

Gustavo Prats, principal of Summit Academy Charter School, said that all schools in Northern Coral Springs were placed on lockdown as a result of the reported shooting. This included Country Hills Elementary at 10550 Westview Drive and Eagle Ridge Elementary at 11500 Westview Drive.

Prats said state exams planned for the day were also postponed. The lockdown was lifted about 8:30 a.m.

Police said it was later discovered there was no shooter at large as the man had claimed. As it turned out, the man had accidentally shot himself in the leg and fabricated the story, police said.

Police did not release the names of those involved Wednesday. It was not known if either will face charges.

Schools and roads were open by 9 a.m., but the events forced Eagle Ridge Elementary to postpone pre-scheduled FSA testing.