"It's all been basically a hoax," said Chief James Cummings.
Cummings said an e-mail began circulating about four weeks ago, claiming that Long Island malls were to be hit simultaneously with chemical weapons on November 26, Black Friday, and that additional attacks would then follow in New York City and Washington D.C. It also warned of possible car bombings and said terrorists had been gathering information about local response capabilities.
As the alarming e-mail circulated, "We were inundated with phone calls from civilians," the chief said. The NYPD opened an investigation into who sent the e-mail and why.
Cummings said the story in the e-mail stemmed from a real drill, in which Suffolk County Fire and the Bay Shore Fire Department planned mass-casualty incident response strategies for area malls. The FBI was not involved in any way, as the e-mail claimed.
Cummings said someone who did not attend the drill elaborated on the concept.
"The person didn't know what they were talking about," he said. "They read the minutes and decided to put their own twist to this thing. It ballooned from there."
Firefighters have been reassuring callers that there is no need for concern. However, they are also preparing in case anyone tries to take advantage of the increased tension, and attempts to use other devices to spark panic.
Cummings said he could not discuss the details of the investigation, and the NYPD declined comment.
