The Conversation (0)
Harriet Brewis
Apr 05, 2021
Arnathia Willis, 58, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful request for emergency service assistance
Sedgewick County Sheriff’s Office
Some pranks are just not funny, as one mother in Kansas found out the hard way.
Arnthia Willis, 58, told her daughter she’d been shot as an April Fools’ Day joke, but police viewed it as no laughing matter.
Willis called her daughter and told her about the shooting before quickly hanging up, according to local reports.
The girl was so alarmed, she immediately rang 911.
Between 15 an 20 police officers rushed to Willis’ home armed with guns in response to the daughter’s call.
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But when they broke down the door, no one inside, Wichita police Lt. Ronald Hunt said in a statement.
They later learned that Willis was actually at work and had called her daughter as a prank.
The girl told kake.com: “I got a call from my mom and she was like "he shot me, he shot me". I was doing like 100 on the highway.
“I’m still shook. They take it seriously and this is on you mom.”
The 58-year-old was then arrested on suspicion of an unlawful request for emergency service assistance, Wichita police said.
“April Fools’ can be a good, funny little joke in some circumstances,” Lt. Hunt said. But when it leads to a police response “it’s not funny any more.”