Hoax

Hoax event in Texas, Gainesville, Frank Buck Zoo area, United States of America on Sun 17th May 2026

17th May 2026

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GAINESVILLE, Texas (KXII) - Gainesville police evacuated the Frank Buck Zoo Sunday afternoon after receiving a bomb threat.

Police received a call at 1:40 p.m. stating a bomb threat had been called in to the zoo. Officers responded and evacuated the area. The Denton Fire Department’s bomb squad assisted in checking the area.

After about two hours, the area was deemed safe and officers cleared the scene.

The department added that in the past few weeks, several zoos across the country have either received bomb threats or fake active shooter calls as part of a growing “swatting” craze. They say swatting is a dangerous criminal hoax in which someone makes a fake emergency call to 911 to intentionally trigger a massive, armed police response at a specific target’s location.

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United States of America (USA)

Texas ( Gainesville, Frank Buck Zoo area )

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