Cops: Reported "Active Shooter" at Target Was Man Protesting Bathroom Policy

Police say disturbance at an Illinois Target initially reported as an active shooter situation was actually a man protesting the company’s transgender bathroom policy, the Chicago Tribune reports.

After receiving a 911 call about the shooter on Monday, authorities say multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a Target store in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Once there, they found 39-year-old protester Michael Merichko, but no injuries or any evidence of a shooting. From NBC News:

Merichko was allegedly protesting Target Corporation’s newly announced policy on letting transgender people use the bathroom that conforms to their identity. Police said his actions caused “panic among store employees and customers.”

“Investigators have determined that Merichko made no threats of shooting anyone in the store,” said a police spokesperson in a statement. “We are still looking into how the call came out as an active shooter.”

Last month, Target released a statement officially supporting employees and customers using the bathroom that corresponds to the gender identity. In response, anti-LGBT activist group the American Family Association revealed today that it has been “testing” the policy by sending men into women’s bathrooms at Target.