The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has informed the public that two suspects were on the run after allegedly shooting a traffic officer. The hunt for the criminals led the police to send out a strange message, which led nowhere and only resulted in confusion. Users even questioned whether it was a malware attack.
Questionable use of security alerts on iOS
A Tennessee Highway Patrol officer was shot last Saturday. The two suspects fled the scene. Police have even issued a manhunt with a reward.
UPDATE: We've added Braze Rucker to our #TNMostWanted list.
The 29 y/o faces a felony charge in connection to the shooting and should be considered armed and dangerous. There's a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Spot him? Call 1-800-TBI-FIND! pic.twitter.com/XBAXrLhgH6
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) July 20, 2024
Around the same time, iOS users began receiving a “Public Safety Alert” on their iPhones. Many took to social media to ask if anyone knew what it was. On Reddit, they reported a message on their iPhone that said “Public Safety Alert,” but it was attached to what appeared to be a potential spam link that wasn't going anywhere.
The notification raised some concerns that users had received some kind of malware. In fact, this questionable use of public safety alert tool was linked to the case of the suspects fleeing after shooting a police officer. An alert was raised on the National Blue Alert Network with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Does anybody know what this means (public safety alert)?
byu/ddntmeanto iniphone
Mysterious iPhone notification caused by Blue Alert
As reported by Action News 5, the presence of an active shooter prompted the dispatcher to be issued following the shooting of a state police officer. The officer is in stable condition.
However, it appears that not enough information was given, which led to a questionable call being sent to cell phones in the Tennessee area. Reddit users claimed that the notification was sent to a wide enough area to reach smartphones two hours awaybut with little to no information given, users were forced to look up what it meant anyway.
Some have said it could be a weather warning since it uses a similar format, but if you received the notification, now you know.
The criminals have already been identified, but they are still at large. And although the alert was raised, its misuse did nothing to help in the search for the shooter.
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
