Report of man with bomb turns out to be a hoax

FORT LEE (AP) — Authorities have determined that a report of a homicidal man with a bomb strapped to his body in North Jersey was just a hoax.

It happened Sunday night at a Pizza Hut in Fort Lee.

Police say they received a call that someone in the restaurant had a bomb and an automatic rifle and threatened to kill the customers. A second caller told police he saw suspicious looking people leaving the restaurant and wanted police to investigate.

But after a four-hour search, police determined that it was just the latest instance of swatting, where a caller falsely reports an emergency. The fake calls typically draw heavily-armed police response.

State lawmakers are considering legislation that would toughen penalties for swatting.

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