Swatting call caused temporary lockdown at Rice Lake, Wisconsin health clinic

A health clinic in western Wisconsin was temporarily put into lockdown Thursday afternoon after a threatening phone call.

Just after 2 p.m., Barron County officials received a 911 call from a staff member at the Marshfield Medical Center Emergency Department in Rice Lake, stating that someone called and said two men were going to “shoot up the hospital” in about 20 minutes.

After interviewing the staff member later, it was determined that the man who called had disguised his voice and got upset before hanging up the phone, according to the Rice Lake Police Department.

Rice Lake police, the Barron County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin State Patrol responded to the scene, and the medical facility was secured.

Any patients who wanted to leave the facility were allowed to do so, authorities noted.

During the lockdown, law enforcement discovered there were similar threats, known as “swatting calls,” at other places across the state on Thursday.

At about 4:18 p.m., the lockdown was lifted, and authorities cleared the scene. Rice Lake police added that no one was injured during the incident.

The police department said it will continue investigating the threat with other law enforcement agencies.

The Rice Lake health center is roughly two hours northeast of the Twin Cities, and approximately 50 miles north of Eau Claire. The center’s website says it offers both inpatient and outpatient practice, covering a wide range of services.

A spokesperson for the health system told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the clinic was closed for the rest of the day Thursday, but hospital operations have since returned to normal.

“The safety of our patients and staff at Marshfield Medical Center-Rice Lake is our top priority,” the system added.