Accidental call leads SWAT team to school

WINNETKA, Ill., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Suburban Chicago police said a SWAT team descended on a middle school following an accidental phone call that led a woman to fear for her husband's safety.

Winnetka police said a man who works at Carleton Washburne School sat on his phone while driving home Monday evening and accidentally called the last number dialed, his wife's phone, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

Winnetka police Chief Joseph De Lopez said the woman heard only garbled voices -- which Mark Friedman, interim co-superintendent of District 36, said were "gangster-like" song lyrics playing from the radio -- and feared her husband was being held hostage.

The woman called 911 and a SWAT team with more than 30 members arrived at the school at about 5 p.m. to search for a potential gunman.

De Lopez said the all-clear was sounded about three hours later, after the man was found to have arrived safely at home.

Officials at the middle school said all of the students had gone home for the day prior to the incident.