Hawaii officials mistakenly warn of inbound missile

HONOLULU – Hawaii emergency management officials say a push alert that warned of an incoming ballistic missile to Hawaii on Saturday was a mistake.

The emergency alert sent to cellphones said in all caps, “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman Richard Repoza says it’s a false alarm and that the agency is trying to determine what happened.

The alert stirred panic for residents on the island and across social media.

United States Senator Brian Schatz from Hawaii took to Twitter to weigh in on the mishap, saying “what happened today is totally inexcusable.”

Senator Mazie Hirono also used social media to calm followers, saying the alert was a false alarm.

She continued in her tweet to say “at a time of heightened tensions, we need to make sure all information released to the community is accurate.”

Both politicians are hoping those responsible will get to the bottom of what happened and make sure changes are made to the process.

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