But this isn't a false alert. The alert is real, people just got misdirected.

Think of it like this: if this same story was happening a couple of centuries ago, pre-Internet, this person who just got arrested would have been sitting at their balcony, crying "the wolf is here! down at the intersection!" ; causing the hunting team to waste time.

It was a false alert in that particular place. I doubt those residents who were alerted had felt like they were previously in immediate danger.

You don't get to chose pedanticism when it suits you. Please stop.