WOODBURY — A Woodbury family is the apparent target of a hoax that law enforcement says is dangerous and a big waste of public resources.

Police in tactical gear were called a house on a quiet residential street in Woodbury Monday night. A 911 caller reported a boy had supposedly shot his father. Officials say that was a false report and that the family had no knowledge of the call. The hoax is called “swatting” and can carry criminal charges if the person making the false report is caught.

Woodbury police spokeswoman Michelle Okada tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press it creates a potential risk for everyone involved.