El Dorado woman in custody for posting “They shooting at Barton”, causing panic to parents and the community-at-large! Speculation!

EL DORADO, Arkansas (08/23/19) — A woman is in custody for posting a false alarm on social media Friday morning.

Megan Hall, 28, was arrested for charges of communicating a false alarm. Hall made a Facebook post saying “They shooting at Barton”.

The El Dorado School District received word about the post around 8:15 a.m. and immediately called police to investigate. The post was quickly removed but several friends took a screenshot of the post, further spreading the rumor in the community.

Detectives worked to find where the post originated and had enough probable cause to arrest Hall, who has no children at Barton.

Police say they made contact with Hall who voluntarily went to the El Dorado Police Department for an interview. Hall told police she heard about the shooting through friends and family. Police say she handled it all wrong.

“A choice was made to make this post without finding out any information at all, without contacting the school or the police department,” Lieutenant Christopher Lutman said.

It’s a serious crime that police say will not be tolerated.

“We take this seriously and always do,” Lt. Lutman said. “This caused a massive disruption at the school which led to dozens and dozens of children being checked out by their parents.”

Hall has been booked into Union County Detention Center and could face up to six years in jail or pay a fine up to $10,000. She is being charged with a Class D felony.

According to Arkansas law, communicating a false alarm is a Class D felony if there is damage to property results or the false alarm communicates a present or impending bombing and is made to or about a public or private educational institution.

El Dorado Superintendent Jim Tucker urges parents to verify information before they ever post to social media.

“If you hear something like this, don’t take their word for it on social media, verify it with the school district,” Tucker said. “Don’t share things that aren’t verified. Don’t comment on things that aren’t verified.”

The district says they will always communicate through their website, social media or their mass calling system if an actual threat is being made.

School officials urge parents to make sure their contact information at their child’s school is complete and accurate.

Hall will appear in district court August 26.

I honestly don’t believe this lady was intentionally trying to cause harm to anyone. I believe she thought she was doing the right thing by alerting the public. Although it may not have been the best way to handle it, who can say they wouldn’t be panicking if they thought their child, or a child of someone that they know is potentially in danger. I can see someone making a split second decision and posting this information if they felt it to be true, just out of sheer panic and then rethinking it and deciding that they may have reacted a little too hastily so they removed the post. I feel bad for her, I don’t know her at all, but can totally see how this could have played out. -Facebook Member

Unless the law has changed since 2010, they would first have to prove she knew the report was false and/or baseless. Then it's a class C misdemeanor. The only thing that makes it a felony is if a physical injury or property damage occurs as a result of the false and baseless alarm, or the false and baseless alarm was a bomb threat.

2010 Arkansas Code
Title 5 - Criminal Offenses
Subtitle 6 - Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, Or Welfare
Chapter 71 - Riots, Disorderly Conduct, Etc
Subchapter 2 - Offenses Generally
§ 5-71-210 - Communicating a false alarm.5-71-210. Communicating a false alarm.

(a) A person commits the offense of communicating a false alarm if he or she purposely initiates or circulates a report of a present, past, or impending bombing, fire, offense, catastrophe, or other emergency while knowing that the report is false or baseless and knowing that it is likely to:

(1) Cause action of any sort by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;

(2) Place any person in fear of physical injury to himself or herself or another person or of damage to his or her property or that of another person; or

(3) Cause total or partial evacuation of any occupiable structure, vehicle, or vital public facility.

(b) (1) (A) Communicating a false alarm is a Class C felony if physical injury to a person results.

(B) Communicating a false alarm is a Class D felony if:

(i) Damage to property results; or

(ii) The false alarm communicates a present or impending bombing and is made to or about a public or private educational institution.

(2) (A) If there is no resulting physical injury or damage to property, communicating a false alarm is a Class A misdemeanor.

(B) A second or subsequent offense that would otherwise be a Class A misdemeanor is a Class D felony.

(c) In addition to any other restitution ordered under 5-4-205, the court may order that a person who violates this section make restitution to the State of Arkansas or any of its political subdivisions for any cleanup costs associated with the commission of the offense. -Facebook Member