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There were some hilarious pranks pulled yesterday for April Fools' Day ... and there were a few not-so-funny pranks we wish had never been attempted. One particularly awful prank was pulled by a mom. Police say Angela Timmons texted her daughter to tell her a gunman was on the loose at Virginia College in South Carolina, where she works. It was supposed to be a prank. But to Timmons' daughter April, thousands of miles away in New York, it sounded alarming. She called 911 and police arrived at the scene soon after -- expecting this would be the next Sandy Hook or Virginia Tech tragedy.
Meanwhile, Angela finally admitted to her daughter that it was just a hoax. "Oh my goodness," April told the dispatcher. "She's saying she's playing an April Fools' joke. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Poor April, dispatcher, and everyone else involved. That was so. Not. Funny.
Timmons was arrested and has been charged with aggravated breach of peace, disturbing a school, and unlawful use of a telephone. She says if she'd known her prank would have taken up police time, she never would have tried it -- but don't you wish that possibility had occurred to her before?
I feel like I'm about to let loose a string of Dr. Obvious thoughts, but what the hell. I guess when common sense seems in such short supply, it's necessary. Here goes.
People, when you are plotting your next prank, consider the worst-case scenario. Could anyone get hurt?
Is there even the tiniest possibility that your joke could waste the time of emergency responders? Or other valuable resources?
Will your prank cause someone to become genuinely fearful for your life -- or their own life?
Does your joke in any way resemble a horrific, real-life tragedy, especially a recent one?
If so, MAYBE DON'T DO IT.
Right? Like I said, it's ridiculous that I would need to say this at all. But apparently, Ms. Timmons did not connect the dots before she pulled this awful prank. Geez Louise, I hope people are more sensible next year.
What's the worst, not-funny prank you've ever seen?
Image via Spartanburg County Detention Center
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