Police respond to reports of shots fired at traffic in Mount Vernon, but no evidence found

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Authorities responded to what Mount Vernon police said was an “isolated report” of shots fired at traffic from an I-5 overpass Wednesday morning, but Mount Vernon police said "there has been no known disturbance to the peace, other than the perpetuation of misinformation."

Mount Vernon police said there is "no current or prior threat to the public."

According to the Washington State Patrol, about 10 a.m., authorities received a report of a man in dark clothing firing a rifle at cars on I-5 from the East Blackburn Road overpass.

A man first reported that his vehicle was hit by gunfire, but a check of the vehicle revealed no damage.

In addition, a trooper on I-5 who was helping a driver with a disabled vehicle reported hearing what was believed to be three gunshots, according to WSP.

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Officers from the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Vernon Police Department and the state patrol conducted a search.

Both directions of I-5 were briefly closed between Anderson Road and SR 536, but the freeway reopened minutes later.

Mount Vernon police Lt. Moore told KIRO 7 no active shooter was found.

“What we know now is limited. Witnesses observed what they believed was someone with a weapon and possibly a sound like a shot. We have no one reported to be injured or a victim of property damage as a result. Investigators are still trying to narrow the location of where this actually occurred,” said Moore.

Shortly after, Mount Vernon police sent out a news release stating that in the same timeframe as those reports, dispatchers received reports of "shots fired" in the area of South 25th Street that were confirmed to be related to people lighting off fireworks.

"While the independently-taken precautionary measures to ensure safety were prudent, there has been no known disturbance to the peace, other than the perpetuation of misinformation.  Again, MVPD knows of no current, or prior, threat to public safety in Mount Vernon,"

a MVPD news release stated.

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