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Employee charged with making false active shooter call, possession of meth

Police said Johnny Sesson called police and told them there was an active shooter at a Pontoon Beach packaging facility. They said he also had a few grams of meth
Credit: Pontoon Beach Police Department

PONTOON BEACH, Ill. — An employee arrested for calling in a fake active shooter incident at a Pontoon Beach packaging facility was charged Wednesday.

Johnny Sesson, 27, was charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful possession of methamphetamine in connection with the Tuesday morning incident.

RELATED: False report of active shooter triggers heavy police presence at Metro East packaging business

Pontoon Beach police said a caller told them someone was inside the warehouse of Menasha Packaging firing shots and trying to kill people. The call, made around 8 a.m. Tuesday, was then disconnected.

Officers were able to locate the phone. They conducted a search and found no shooter and no evidence of shots being fired, police said.

They took Sesson — who was an employee at the facility — into custody and applied for charges Wednesday, police said. He was charged with the two felonies later in the day. His bond was set at $50,000.

There was a heavy police presence at the business for hours Tuesday morning, and employees were evacuated. Surrounding businesses also were put on lock down. Police officers from multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene.

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