BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On Thursday, a jury found a Bakersfield man guilty of falsely reporting an active shooter at Mercy Southwest Hospital in August of 2018.
Mario Thompson faces up to a year in jail as well as financial liability "for the havoc his actions caused", according to the Kern County District Attorney's Office.
The DA also says Mario Thompson had previously been convicted on impersonation of a police officer charges for a similar false active shooter report at Memorial Hospital in December of 2018. He was ordered to serve nine months in jail as a condition of felony probation.
According to Bakersfield police, BPD Thompson disguised himself as a security guard inside Memorial Hospital. During a search of the facility after the call was made, officers found Thompson wearing a security badge, acting suspiciously and inserting himself into the investigation. Hospital staff told authorities he is not an employee, so authorities detained him, finding a pellet gun, pepper spray and prescription pills in his possession.
Sentencing for the August 2018 incident is scheduled for July 2.
