Things are back to normal at Memorial Hospital in central Bakersfield after a false report of an active shooter forced law enforcement to close off the building and several streets.

Police went room to room and evacuated people after a man inside the hospital reported seeing the gunman while a second person said they heard gunshots near the Emergency Room parking lot of the facility on Q and 34th streets just after 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

There was no evidence of shots fired and no one was hurt. A statement from Memorial Hospital COO Ken Keller thanked law enforcement for their rapid response and says they’ve launched an internal investigation along with BPD.

This incident comes four months after a similar false alarm at Mercy Southwest Hospital.

Kelli Pierce