Panic spread through the state of Hawaii on Saturday morning when residents received an alert on their phones warning of a ballistic missile threat.
Scores of confused residents tweeted screenshots of the warnings after receiving them shortly after 8am local time.
The Department of Defense has not confirmed whether the threat was genuine or if it was sent out by mistake.
The message, which was written all in block capitals, read: ‘BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII.
‘SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL’.
Scores of confused residents tweeted screenshots of the warnings after receiving them shortly after 8am local time