Hawaii officials say 'ballistic missile threat' emergency alert was mistake

Alert sent to cell phones

IPhone users received an alert Jan. 13, 2018 that a ballistic missile was headed toward Hawaii.

HAWAII – Officials said an alert Saturday morning about a ballistic missile heading toward Hawaii was a false alarm.

Screenshots of iPhone emergency alerts filled social media, as people on the island tried to figure out what was happening.

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"Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. See immediate shelter. This is not a drill," the alert stated.

Related: Metro Detroit residents in Hawaii react after emergency alert mistakenly sent out

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is investigating.