Tesla Gigafactory workers in Texas flee after reports of an 'active shooter'

Police say 911 call turned out to be false alarm

The Tesla Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, where there was a false report of an armed intruder. Reuters

Police in Texas on Friday were investigating an emergency call reporting an armed attacker at a Tesla plant that turned out to be a false alarm.

Travis County Sheriff's Office responded to the 911 call at about 5am local time. The caller said there was a shooter at the Tesla Gigafactory plant in Austin, a sheriff's office spokesperson said.

Workers inside the plant received an alert message saying, “There is an Active Attacker near column location 35Z at the Giga Factory Texas. Please take cover and stand by for further details.”

Police cleared the large plant and found no shooter, threat or injuries, the spokesperson said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The nature of the phone call, including where it came from and who placed it, was being investigated by police, the sheriff's office said.

Here is a message we got from a Tesla employee that asked everyone to evacuate the building because of an active shooter situation.

We are waiting for confirmation from police. pic.twitter.com/swDIWeBker

— Pamela Comme (@commepamela) July 28, 2023

Updated: July 28, 2023, 2:40 PM