Overview
- All outdoor sirens in Halle sounded around 22:00 Saturday as a male voice in English said, “Active shooter. Lockdown now.”
- City officials now say a cyberattack is highly probable after determining the alarm was not initiated by municipal, state, or federal authorities.
- Police have opened an inquiry, and the city is examining the technical cause, with formal criminal proceedings possible once findings are in.
- No KATWARN mobile alert accompanied the sirens, and shared videos and resident accounts describe widespread alarm and confusion.
- Coverage notes earlier siren intrusions in Troisdorf and Dallas, and experts say Halle’s spoken announcement indicates a more complex breach than tone activation alone.