False Alert of Missile Attack Sparks Panic in Hawaii: ‘We Thought It Was the Real Thing’

It was a beautiful morning on the Big Island of Hawaii as Kevin and Pamela Spitze drove to an art show in Hilo when the alert suddenly came on Kevin’s smartphone screen:

“BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”

The Spitzes, who recently moved from Los Angeles to Hawaii’s Big Island, said they were already living on edge in paradise because of all the recent inflammatory bluster between the United States and North Korea over nuclear weapons and threats of attack.

“We have such a barrage of negative stuff that has been happening that our senses have been heightened,” said Pamela Spitze, 64, a retired community college training program staffer. “We thought it was the real thing. We are very concerned.”