The Cullman Walmart Supercenter was evacuated early Saturday morning after police received a call of a stabbing and hostage situation taking place inside the store.

Cullman Police and other authorities completed a sweep of the store and found no evidence of the stabbing or hostages. The caller also said he had set off a gas leak but that had not proven true as well, Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper said.

Police removed the yellow safety tape from around the store entrances allowing the store to reopen approximately two hours later.

The call came into police dispatch at 6:25 a.m. Police, Cullman County Sheriff’s deputies and Cullman firefighters responded to the scene.

Employees and shoppers were evacuated and sent to a parking lot around Kay Jewelers.

“Our investigators are going to attempt to determine where the call came from. The caller was a man who said he had stabbed his girlfriend and was holding her children hostage. It could be the call was made from a disposable phone but we are going to take a look,” Culpepper said. “There is a trend across the nation called ‘swatting’ in which someone calls in a false hostage or other situation, and it’s very dangerous and costly because of all the units that have to come in quickly and the loss to the stores. And it’s a disservice to our citizens because it takes away our public servants from their other duties.”

*David Palmer can be reached by email at dpalmer@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 256-734-2131, extension 116..