Source: Shutterstock.com
Hawaiians residents were sent an alert of an imminent missile attack that was later found to be a false alarm, sent out because of a “wrong button” being pushed.
According to ABC News, Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki gave out the following statement:
“This system we have been told to rely upon failed and failed miserably today…I am deeply troubled by this misstep that could have had dire consequences.”
“Apparently, the wrong button was pushed and it took over 30 minutes for a correction to be announced. Parents and children panicked during those 30 minutes.”
The alert was sent to people’s mobile phones at about 8:08 A.M. local time, reading, in caps, “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”
Shortly after, it was confirmed by U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Dave Benham that no threat was detected:
“Earlier message was sent in error. State of Hawaii will send out a correction message as soon as possible.”
Correction messages were later sent to phones reading the following message:
“There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii.”
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, released a message on social media saying that the FCC has launched a full investigation into the false alarm.
Hawaii Missile False Alarm Photos & Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfvju0sBXgc
https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiNewsNow/videos/10155865564475479/
https://www.facebook.com/aikhel808/videos/10215555035213694/
Hawaii False Alarm Updates
https://twitter.com/brianschatz/status/952250180081876992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fdrill-hawaii-residents-wake-false-alarm-imminent-missile%2Fstory%3Fid%3D52328642
https://twitter.com/brianschatz/status/952254212431265792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fdrill-hawaii-residents-wake-false-alarm-imminent-missile%2Fstory%3Fid%3D52328642
https://twitter.com/AjitPaiFCC/status/952263911176331264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fdrill-hawaii-residents-wake-false-alarm-imminent-missile%2Fstory%3Fid%3D52328642
https://twitter.com/kulanaiwi/status/952242382178832385
https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/952243722795802624
https://twitter.com/xoKiana_/status/952241143026147328
https://twitter.com/JHapz34/status/952241789691355137
