Saranac Lake Police Investigate Suspected Swatting Incident Downtown

A false emergency report sent police and firefighters rushing to 97 Main Street in Saranac Lake around 12:48 this afternoon after a caller claimed a masked gunman had entered the Village Mercantile, started a fire, and that people were fleeing the building.

None of it was true. Officers and firefighters arrived to find no fire, no armed individual, and no evidence that anything had happened. The area was cleared.

What made the incident unusual: while emergency personnel were on scene, the caller contacted authorities multiple times and commented on the movements of responding officers and firefighters. Investigators believe the caller was watching publicly accessible live camera footage from the Hotel Saranac area in real time while making the false reports.

Preliminary findings suggest the incident may have originated from a foreign-based source. The New York State Police assisted with the response and investigation, which remains active. Police also communicated with Saranac Lake Schools during the incident.

Swatting — deliberate false emergency reports designed to trigger a large-scale response — diverts first responders from real emergencies and can create dangerous situations. Criminal charges are possible when perpetrators are identified.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Saranac Lake Police Department at (518) 891-4422 or at saranaclakepolice.org.

UPDATE — June 11, 2026

The Village Mercantile, which operates at 97 Main Street, issued a statement Thursday describing the incident from the perspective of staff who were inside the building during the response.

Employees were working behind the front desk when members of the fire department entered and asked to confirm the address. Staff were advised that reports of smoke and flames had come in from outside the building. Emergency personnel then conducted a thorough search of the property. As the response expanded, law enforcement arrived and staff were instructed to remain in the office until the situation was resolved.

"At the time, very little information was available to employees inside the building, and there was no awareness of the circumstances that had prompted such a significant response," the statement said. "The focus remained on following directions and allowing first responders to do their jobs."

The business extended gratitude to the fire department, law enforcement, and all first responders, as well as to customers and community members who reached out with concern and support.