PARMA, Ohio - Investigators have released audio of a hoax 911 call in which a man told police that he shot his father and was holding his mother and sister hostage.

The man called police at 8:20 p.m. and told a dispatcher that he was holding his family members hostage at a home in the 3100 block of West Ridgewood Drive. Parma officers and the department's SWAT team surrounded the home but discovered that the call was a hoax, Lt. Kevin Riley said.

"I just shot my dad in the stomach with a 12-gauge shotgun," the man said during the call. "He's in the bathroom right now. My mom's in the bathroom and so is my sister. They're all tied up."

Investigators released audio of the call Monday and are asking the public to help identify the caller, Riley said.

Parma hostage hoax 911 call

The caller told the dispatcher that he would shoot officers who arrived at the home. He also threatened to shoot his mother and sister.

Officers made contact with a 58-year-old man and 55-year-old woman who were inside the home and instructed them to walk outside. Investigators searched the home and several nearby homes to confirm the call was a hoax.

The caller hung up when the man and the woman walked outside, police said.

Investigators believe the incident was an example of a trend called "swatting," which involves reporting life-threatening emergencies in the hopes of bringing in a SWAT team and a large contingent of first responders.

"This is not just a prank. It's a very dangerous situation," Riley said. "We're taking this as a very serious matter, and we're going to make every effort to identify the caller and prosecute to the fullest extent."

Anyone with information about the caller is being asked to contact the Parma Police Crime Tip Line at 440-887-7340.

An edited version of the call is included in this post. The audio has been edited to remove the address of the West Ridgewood Drive home.