A disturbance at Aberdeen Town Hall on Tuesday prompted a police response after a panic alarm was activated shortly after noon.
Officers were sent to the town hall building on North Poplar Street around 12:15 p.m. As they were on the way, dispatchers relayed reports that people inside believed they had heard gunfire.
However, Aberdeen Police Operations Captain Shannon Blackburn told Sandhills Sentinel that the commotion started when a customer in the water department became angry and damaged town property, proceeding to smash holiday decorations and nearby items. Witnesses who heard the sound mistakenly believed it to be gunfire.
“There was no firearm or shots fired,” assures Blackburn. “That was false.”
No staff members were injured. Police detained an adult woman in connection with the incident, and charges are expected.
Authorities said the case remains under review, and the woman’s identity was not given.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Written by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
Want Moore news that matters? Please click here to sign up for the free Sandhills Sentinel e-newsletter.
Follow Sandhills Sentinel: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Newsletter
*File photo of Aberdeen Police car/Sandhills Sentinel.
