The ShakeAlert computer system that warns about the imminent arrival of shaking from earthquakes sent out a false alarm Thursday morning for a magnitude 5.9 temblor in Carson City, Nev., that did not actually happen.

The ShakeAlert blared on both the MyShake app and the Wireless Emergency Alert system — similar to an Amber Alert — on phones across the region, including in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento area, and in eastern California, just after 8 a.m.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the ShakeAlert system was activated, or how many phones got the incorrect alerts. The earthquake report was later deleted from the MyShake app — which carries earthquake early warnings from the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert system — and from the USGS earthquake website.

“We did not detect any earthquakes,” said Paul Caruso, a USGS geophysicist, Thursday morning.

The ShakeAlert system has previously proved effective in giving seconds of warning ahead of expected shaking coming from significant earthquakes, including from a magnitude 5.2 earthquake in San Diego County in April; earthquakes in El Sereno and the Malibu area last year; and a temblor east of San José in 2022.

“We’re in the process of figuring out what happened,” said Robert de Groot, an operations team leader for the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert system.

There have been other times when earthquake early warnings have misfired.

In 2023, a scheduled drill of the MyShake app at 10:19 a.m. rang instead at 3:19 a.m., which occurred because the warning was inadvertently scheduled for 10:19 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time, instead of Pacific time.

And in 2021, phone users across Northern California got a warning of a magnitude 6 earthquake in Truckee, near Lake Tahoe; but the quake that actually occurred was a far more modest magnitude 4.7. Scientists said the significant overestimation of the quake’s magnitude was in part caused by it being on the edge of the ShakeAlert seismic network sensors, and that researchers worked on reprogramming the computer system to avoid a similar issue in the future.

Investigators out of Navajo County, Arizona, served multiple search warrants at a Southern Californian farming magnate’s home and Imperial Valley properties in connection with the deadly shooting of his wife late last month.  

Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, was found dead from a fatal gunshot wound on Nov. 20 at around 9 p.m. in the couple’s affluent Pinetop, Arizona home, according to a news release from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.  

The 59-year-old, who is reportedly from Pinetop, had been living separately from her husband, Mike Abatti, during the couple’s ongoing divorce proceeding, which began in October 2023 when she petitioned to dissolve the 31-year marriage, citing irreconcilable differences, the Los Angeles Times reported.  

While she was seeking $30,000 a month in spousal support, the court awarded her $6,400 a month in temporary support as the value of the couple’s vast income from farming and other services, as well as real-estate holdings in California, Wyoming and Arizona, were being assessed by experts, court filings showed.  

Authorities said a search warrant was executed at Mike Abatti’s personal residence in El Centro, where Mike Abatti Farms is based, as well as multiple structures, two camp trailers and two vehicles associated with the Abatti family’s business operations.  

The Abatti family, according to The Times, owns and operates some of the largest farming operations in the Imperial Valley, where they grow cantaloupe, lettuce, broccoli, sugarbeets, onions and hay.  

The couple had donated more than $50,000 to San Diego State University, where a scholarship is offered in their name.  

According to the Desert Sun, Mike Abatti has been rewarded millions of dollars in publicly funded energy contracts and is well-connected with ties to family and friends in elected office, including a judge and district attorney, who have repeatedly made “decisions that have advanced Abatti’s private interests.”  

Very few details about Kerri Ann Abatti’s homicide have been released by investigators, nor has a suspect been named in the case.  

“These warrants were obtained and executed based on the results of the ongoing homicide investigation and evidence developed by detectives,” Navajo County investigators said. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Further information will be released when appropriate and when it will not compromise the integrity of the case.”  

A California radiologist and his wife were found fatally shot outside their home on Sunday, and police say his son, who later died by suicide, is the main suspect in the homicide.

The Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to reports of gunfire at a residence in the area and found Eric Cordes, 63, and his wife, Vickie Cordes, 66, with multiple gunshot wounds inside their open garage.

The couple was taken to a local trauma center, where they were pronounced dead.

Witnesses told detectives that the suspect approached the home’s open garage and opened fire before fleeing in a black sedan with out-of-state license plates, according to the police statement.

Detectives identified a car leaving the area and heading south that belonged to Keith Cordes, 37, the son of Eric Cordes and the stepson of Vicki Cordes, who was from Kentucky.

Police tracked the car to Chino and found that the owner of the car had set it on fire before fatally shooting himself.

While burns initially delayed the identification of the person inside the car, the San Bernardino County Medical Examiner was able to confirm that the deceased person was Keith Cordes and that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The incident remains under investigation, but detectives believe the firearm found inside Keith Cordes’ car is the same one used to shoot Eric Cordes and Vicki Cordes.

The circumstances and motive of the double homicide are not immediately clear, police said.

Adventist Health Simi Valley confirmed in a statement to NBC Los Angeles that Eric Cordes worked at the hospital as a radiologist for nearly three decades.

“The Adventist Health Simi Valley community is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki,” the statement said. “Dr. Cordes was a highly respected, board-certified radiologist and beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years.”

The hospital’s statement continued: “Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him as we grieve this shocking loss.”

Dr. James Lin Jr., a radiologist at Focus Medical Imaging, called Eric Cordes a “respected radiologist” who worked with the group for several years, according to a statement he provided to NBC News.

“Dr. Eric Cordes was a brilliant, hard-working doctor and a respected colleague. He served the Simi Valley community and surrounding areas throughout his entire career,” Lin said. “Our entire group will be thinking of and praying for him and his family. He will surely be missed.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.