The individual who allegedly made a fake emergency call to Kansas police last week that summoned them to shoot and kill an unarmed local man has claimed credit for raising dozens of these dangerous false alarms — calling in bogus hostage situations and bomb threats at roughly 100 schools and at least 10 residences.
Tyler Raj Barriss, in an undated selfie.
On Friday authorities in Los Angeles arrested 25-year-old Tyler Raj Barriss, thought to be known online as “SWAuTistic.” As noted in last week’s story, SWAuTistic is an admitted serial swatter, and was even convicted in 2016 for calling in a bomb threat to an ABC affiliate in Los Angeles. The Associated Press reports that Barriss was sentenced to two years in prison for that stunt, but was released in January 2017.
In his public tweets (most of which are no longer available but were collected by KrebsOnSecurity), SWAuTistic claimed credit for bomb threats against a convention center in Dallas and a high school in Florida, as well as an incident that disrupted a much-watched meeting at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in November.
But privately — to a small circle of friends and associates — SWAuTistic bragged about perpetrating dozens of swatting incidents and bomb threats over the years.
Within a few hours of the swatting incident in Kansas, investigators searching for clues about the person who made the phony emergency call may have gotten some unsolicited help from an unlikely source: Eric “Cosmo the God” Taylor, a talented young hacker who pleaded guilty to being part of a group that swatted multiple celebrities and public figures — as well as my home in 2013.
Taylor is now trying to turn his life around, and is in the process of starting his own cybersecurity consultancy. In a posting on Twitter at 6:21 p.m. ET Dec. 29, Taylor personally offered a reward of $7,777 in Bitcoin for information about the real-life identity of SWAuTistic.
In short order, several people who claimed to have known SWAuTistic responded by coming forward publicly and privately with Barriss’s name and approximate location, sharing copies of private messages and even selfies that were allegedly shared with them at one point by Barriss.
In one private online conversation, SWAuTistic can be seen bragging about his escapades, claiming to have called in fake emergencies at approximately 100 schools and 10 homes.
The serial swatter known as “SWAuTistic” claimed in private conversations to have carried out swattings or bomb threats against 100 schools and 10 homes.
SWAuTistic sought an interview with KrebsOnSecurity on the afternoon of Dec. 29, in which he said he routinely faked hostage and bomb threat situations to emergency centers across the country in exchange for money.
“Bomb threats are more fun and cooler than swats in my opinion and I should have just stuck to that,” SWAuTistic said. “But I began making $ doing some swat requests.”
By approximately 8:30 p.m. ET that same day, Taylor’s bounty had turned up what looked like a positive ID on SWAuTistic. However, KrebsOnSecurity opted not to publish the information until Barriss was formally arrested and charged, which appears to have happened sometime between 10 p.m. ET Dec. 29 and 1 a.m. on Dec. 30.
The arrest came just hours after SWAuTistic allegedly called the Wichita police claiming he was a local man who’d just shot his father in the head and was holding the rest of his family hostage. According to his acquaintances, SWAuTistic made the call after being taunted by a fellow gamer in the popular computer game Call of Duty. The taunter dared SWAuTistic to swat him, but then gave someone else’s address in Kansas as his own instead.
Wichita Police arrived at the address provided by SWAuTistic and surrounded the home. A young man emerged from the doorway and was ordered to put his hands up. Police said one of the officers on the scene fired a single shot — supposedly after the man reached toward his waist. Grainy bodycam footage of the shooting is available here (the video is preceded by the emergency call that summoned the police).
SWAuTistic telling another person in a Twitter direct message that he had already been to jail for swatting.
The man shot and killed by police was unarmed. He has been identified as 28-year-old Andrew Finch, a father of two. Family members say he was not involved in gaming, and had no party to the dispute that got him killed.
According to the Wichita Eagle, the officer who fired the fatal shot is a seven-year veteran with the Wichita department. He has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Earlier reporting here and elsewhere inadvertently mischaracterized SWAuTistic’s call to the Wichita police as a 911 call. We now know that the perpetrator called in to an emergency line for Wichita City Hall and spoke with someone there who took down the caller’s phone number. After that, 911 dispatch operators were alerted and called the number SWAuTistic had given.
This is notable because the lack of a 911 call in such a situation should have been a red flag indicating the caller was not phoning from a local number (otherwise the caller presumably would have just dialed 911).
The moment a police officer fired the shot that killed 28-year-old Wichita resident Andrew Finch (in doorway of home).
The FBI estimates that some 400 swatting incidents occur each year across the country. Each incident costs first responders approximately $10,000, and diverts important resources away from actual emergencies.
Tyler Raj Barriss real needs to start growing up.
He needs to serve a life sentence or two in prison.
“He needs to start growing up”????
Uhhhh no, he needs to get a stiff sentence in state prison where he’ll get his ass beat.
“BEAT?” Is that what they’re calling it these days?
Neither beatings nor any other violence against prison inmates by other prison inmates should be acceptable to folks in a civilized society. Prison exists to minimize the harm folks in it can do to themselves and others. We have a special duty to protect the physical safety of those we incarcerate.
Totally agree. The folks with their fantasies of rape and abuse are condoning crimes as punishment; when you do this there is no telling where it ends except it’s not a good place and reflects poorly on all who don’t heartily oppose it.
Yeah, just burn him to death to set an example for others that would follow in his foot steps. Prison is for people to learn from, this type of scum is in it for pleasure. The worst kind of scum, the only thing scum like that learn, is how to get away with more of the same.
People like you just encourage more of the same – I’m sure you don’t’ care so long as it’s not your kids that are murdered by creatures like him. I hope you don’t find out what it feels like.
The swatter will probably serve less than 2 years I doubt any charge other than felony false alarm 1st degree will stick. Yes I hope he gets a beating or three in that case.
Exactly correct. He thinks he’s some kind of badass, untouchable, and smugly superior. Some time in jail with some real evil folks might change his mind.
Are you a social worker, IRS ??
This F*ck deserves the Death Penalty with NO Bail. Attorneys representing him should step aside, Man (and Woman) up and move for a very speedy trial.
No. He should have a proper defense.
First this is an allegation. You cannot know from just this evidence that he is the perpetrator. This needs to be proved in a court of law. If the evidence is overwhelming, it will be a speedy trial regardless.
Second, if he is guilty, it’s the defenses job to make sure his sentencing is appropriate for the nature of his crimes.
Due process is important in this country. Otherwise its just mob rule.
Liberal idiot!
So, what are you? A moron?
A Retard, for certain.
“Librul idiet”. The sad part is that you guys actually DO go out and vote. What a shame.
“Due process is important in this country. Otherwise its just mob rule.”
“Due process? GET HIM!”, said the mob.
This is no time for rational and impartial ideas about justice! There are pounds of bloody flesh to be paid, for the entertainment of the arse scratchers.
That said, if guilty, I hope the little sociopath rots in prison for a very, very long time.
Our government should not be in a business of depriving anyone of their life, nor should our outrage manifest in someone else’s death.
Hundreds of bomb threats and swattings, recently resulting in loss of life, ruining the lives of the victim’s family and the officer who shot him, and this guy should what, be allowed another chance for further recidivism? Let’s face it, sometimes keeping a recurring, incorrigible threat to human life around for the sake of appearing merciful is a bigger mistake than just executing them.
If you actually believe that, then why have any form of punishment other than death administered by whomever witnesses the crime? Because that’s what you’re calling for, in a very real sense. Crime = Death Penalty.
I mean, the death penalty has eliminated murder, so it clearly works, right?
And think of the taxes we’d save. No more need for jails or any form of law enforcement. Just “good guys with guns”, or swords if you’re in texas. See crime, kill perp, problem solved. And it would be a jobs boon for the mortuary industry. Wouldn’t even need expanded space for cemeteries, just put the bodies up in gibbets as warnings to others.
Your straw man argument fails. We’re not talking about jaywalking here. This is a recidivist degenerate who repeatedly gets his thrills putting people’s lives at risk, and now has killed someone. He’s a murderer. And he’s played Russian roulette multiple times beforehand, just with the gun pointed at other innocent people.
What about the guy who dared him to Swat him and then gave the address of one of his neighbors? That guy is just as responsible for this death as the one who called in the Swat.
My desire for revenge trumps the rule of law.
Please, fellow angry narcissists, join me in lighting the torches.
Krebs, why did you choose not to reveal your evidence until after he had been arrested?
Maybe because if he did and the guy follows kerbs he would have known the police were looking for him.
Sir, he said he didn’t “publish” the information. Not that he didn’t report it.
To avoid legal problems
Better than printing a retraction if it was later revealed to not be accurate. More media outlets could learn something from that vs. all the knee jerk reporting we see today.
Because I didn’t want to do anything to spook the guy any more than he already was, or cause him to take steps that may have delayed or derailed his imminent arrest.
Thank you for helping to bring him down.
Thanks, Brian. Your good work is sincerely appreciated.
One scumbag down, many more to go.
For criminals still flying under the radar, good researchers do nothing in public that tips off the crook, nothing that alerts the crook and causes him to burrow deeper underground.
Well played, Brian Krebs.
At least he’s over 18 and a repeat offender. Anybody know the law? Isn’t that manslaughter? To say nothing of this excerpt from “Findlaw”
Federal Law:
…. Under federal law, anyone who intentionally makes a false bomb threat that “may reasonably be believed” may be fined or imprisoned for up to five years. If serious bodily injury somehow results, then the sentence can go up to 20 years.
…
Under another federal statute, individuals who willfully make a threat or maliciously convey false information concerning an attempt to injure, kill, or destroy property through the use of explosives can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. The threats can be made through mail, email, or phone.
Lets see now, he admits to 100 counts, right?
Because manslaughter is unintentional, it’s too bad that there can’t be a “conspiring to commit manslaughter” charge. There has to be some other kind of neglectful charge to amplify the stuff you’ve listed. I hope they charge him with everything they can find. That is the usual thing, isn’t it?
If he gets anything, I hope it’s maximized sentences, served SEQUENTIALLY, banned from computer use while in prison.
They need to get the guy who dared him, then gave a fake number, too. There is more than one criminal here.
Where do you live Bert?
You just implied the ultimate penalty for not answering this truthfully. so, where?
The guy DARED him to swat him and then gave someone elses address. Thats malicious intent.
2011 Kansas Code
Chapter 21. – CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
Article 34. – CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS
21-3402 Murder in the second degree.
21-3402. Murder in the second degree. Murder in the second degree is the killing of a human being committed:
(a) Intentionally; or
(b) unintentionally but recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.
sociopath who will spend the rest of his life in prison, deservedly so.
“…since this crime crossed state lines in that it was initiated in California this is a federal matter including but not limited to 18 USC 241 which proscribes a life sentence or federal death penalty if someone dies as a consequence of deprivation of their rights under color of law or authority.”
“Proscribes” or “prescribes”? “Proscribes” means “prohibits”.
There should be criminal charges for more than just the swatter. The police dept should have some kind of charges brought against folks in their department as there are several red flags that more than one minutes evaluation would have stopped this incident from ever occurring.
https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=232726
Agreed. The police are going to have to learn how to respond without shooting innocent people. This little turd may have started it, but the police had an opportunity to stop it and chose to escalate it. The officer that shot should be brought up on charges as well.
I look at this from another way. The people are going to have to learn another way to deal with the police. First of all, never place yourself in a position where a cop can shoot you. Do not answer your door when cops knock. Speak to them from behind a closed door. Install a peep-talk door or camera in your front door. Never voluntarily obey a police command to come outside of you home. Tell them you don’t feel like being shot and killed when some cop decides that you are reaching for something, that you have a family that needs you (remember the man in NYC who held out his billfold to the cops and was shot over 10 times). Demand a warrant for them to enter. I am reminded of the Boston police going from door to door demanding the residents to open up their doors to be searched and to come out with their hands up when they were looking for the Boston marathon bombers. As the sheeple obeyed this blatant unconstitutional action, they were further required to keep their hands up while being moved down the street. The cops had their guns drawn and pointed at them during this. One tattooed cop on top of an armored vehicle was pointing a rifle down the street. You life is worth more than voluntarily placing yourself in harms way.
Cops murder unarmed man on his front step, nothing happens, news at 11. Someday we’ll fix cop culture. Maybe.
why are you defending a sociopathic sould the FBI look into you as well just to be sure?
There’s plenty of blame to go around, here. Being upset at the man who pulled the trigger does not equal “defending” the idiot who set this all in motion.
This!
People involved in swatting need to know that their crimes can and may get people killed. Absolutely, police need better training but making the crime here about the police makes it less likely that message will get through to those who need to hear it most.
No-one is defending douchebro who made the phone call.
Bigger problem here is that cops killed an unarmed man after he opened his door to see what was happening when he didn’t immediately obey commands yelled from across the road while they shone spotlights in his face. At least they didn’t drop a flashbang in his child’s crib as well.
Dude admits he was paid to do these things… that’s straight up conspiracy to commit as well as the commitment. He should have the book thrown at him until he rolls over on all the people who paid him for his services. Get their nyms and subpoena the companies for the relevant info. Put them in the Federal Pen, no Internet, no Games, just books and cement walls.
I’d lay odds that any law enforcement organization located in the Bible belt has never heard of swatting, and even if they had a clue, they’d never believe it would happen to their department. This incident should be a wake up call that these scumbags will reach out and hurt you, no matter where you live. It isn’t just for the big city anymore.
Dallas is in the bible belt and you can be sure that the DPD has heard of swatting.
Not only the swatter needs to be charged to the maximum degree, but the guy who gave him the (wrong) address after taunting the swatter to swat him is equally complicit.
100% agree with you there!
David, I am in agreement with you about going after the person who gave him the wrong number, I considered that act, an accomplice to any crime that was committed or in a twist you could see it as he solicited SWAuTistic to committed the crime which can be prosecuted.
Was he on probation or parole? Since he was already convicted of calling in bomb threats I would assume he would be on parole or something. If found guilty he should give given a couple decades in jail. Last time he was given a light sentence and obviously he didnt learn his lesson. As a father of 2 myself there is no excuse for taking a father away from 2 young kids over something so stupid.
It’s not a prank, it’s a serious crime even when no one is injured. What happens when a SWAT is answering a fake call, but is actually needed elsewhere?
This should be a felony with substantial fines and prison time for anyone making these calls including bomb threats. If someone is killed responding or as a result of setting the incident in motion the felony-murder rule should apply as it should in this case.
I get upset every time I hear them refer to this psychopath as a “prankster.” He basically turned the police into his very own hit squad, and on an unsuspecting person, no less. For him to claim that he is not guilty because he didn’t pull the trigger is shameless, to say the least.
I am not a big death penalty fan, but I think that in this case it may be warranted. For sure a life imprisonment would be appropriate.
I feel bad for the cop who killed the victim, because he was played for a sucker, but I do wish that police departments would train their officers to be less quick on the trigger. It seems to be something of a pattern these days. Had they taken some time to question the victim first, this tragedy could have been avoided in this manner as well.
Yeah, the cops should have to wait until at least 4 shots are fired at them before they shoot back. smh…
Way to take it to the extreme. Even the military can have ROE stating don’t fire unless fired upon when in other countries; why can’t the police have the same regarding the very citizens they’ve sworn to protect? Is it seriously too much to ask to wait for 1 shot to be fired?
See: Boston Massacre
Or, at a minimum wait until at least a weapon was ACTUALLY displayed and in hand. From the photo it appears that the officer was already at a distinct advantage with his weapon and weapon light sighted in this individual and positioned behind cover of a vehicle. Isn’t that a patrol car sitting in his driveway? If so, another officer should have been able to come up from behind and secure the situation. Nervous Barney Fife’s have no place in law enforcement!
As far as the two perpetrators…throw the book at them!
Too many cops are poorly trained. It costs money to train and money is an issue with most police departments. Another issue is cops hire certified individuals who were fired for misconduct. Again, mostly because they are certified and it is cost effective. It only took one cop one shot to kill an innocent person. If, as a police officer, your stress level is so high you feel you must shoot then you aren’t cut out for police work in American society.
Don’t be an old fool. Think before you type.
It’s pretty obvious that the alleged swatter and his conspirators knew or expected police to respond and that there was a reasonable likelihood that someone could be detained, questioned, or inconvenienced.
That waste of resources and liberty should get punished as a felony, if proven. It is more than a prank, especially given the alleged swatter’s criminal history; he knew better than to do this.
But it’s outlandish to think the swatter and his conspirators knew or anticipated that the police would kill an unarmed man from across a street.
Only a sociopathic apologist for government excess would expect police to roll out in force — with apparently little training or restraint — on the report of a third party complainant.
Only a bootlicker would have an expectation that agents of the government would shoot a man who opens his door to look why police are congregating across the street from his home.
Darn. That was meant for Mark, not you.
Oh well.
@Reader
Just a little too quick on the trigger it seems. Don’t be a young fool.
I hope there is more than just circumstantial evidence for this case – I definitely want to see justice done! I hope Brian keeps us up with the progress in this case. The national news has a short memory, but the people deserve to know what happens to this JERK!
I really feel sorry for the officer in this shooting, as they are probably getting PTS from all the attacks, and ambushes on LEOs, let alone public safety concerns. 🙁
this guy is very interesting person, clearly we see this person is possesed by demons.
anyways we like to hear more about this guy background:) people dont do things like this so easily.
probabaly we dont hear about the reasons why he actually done all this non-sense.
I want to know who gave him the address, whether he knew the guy or not. Sounds like another Krebs investigation 🙂
Rest assured when I have that information nailed down it will be in another post.
What also gets me is this idiot thought someone taunting him online would actually give their real address.
That selfie is the face of an alleged cold-blooded murderer.
What a piece of garbage. I hope the efame from a few prepubescent kiddies was worth life in prison lol.
This guy must have a mental illness, no sane person could do this and feel its alright. He never showed remorse, says he should have stuck with fake bomb threats. The 911 call of him is disturbing. No idea of the consequences. An innocent life been taken due to his foolish games.
Just because someone does something evil doesn’t make them “mentally ill”, and that in fact stigmatizes real mental illnesses. Sometimes people are just scumbags who enjoy causing others misery and pain.
“Sometimes people are just scumbags who enjoy causing others misery and pain.”
The reason they do that can be a mental illness, so you’re being silly by trying to split hairs without a proper medical definition.
IMHO, the individual who gave the fake address is just as culpable as the individual who perpetrated the swatting. A family is destroyed, two kids are now without their dad, and for what? With respect to police using unreasonable force where there is no danger, they will never be held accountable as long as judges and juries are ok with the deaths of innocents. On the other side of this nasty coin, an officer lost his life and four others were wounded, along with two civilians this past weekend in Douglas County, Colorado restraining their use of force. A few more kids without their dad and another family destroyed. For what? We’re stuck with a crap sandwich here folks, looking at it from either side…
I think we all agree this idiot needs to do serious time behind bars.
An important condition should be that he has NO access whatsoever to a computer or smartphone, and that any phone calls he’s allowed to make are monitored, to make sure they’re legit (e.g., if he has any family that will have anything to do with him).
Anything less than a major prison sentence will only encourage others to do the same.
+10
Yeah, the cops should have to wait till after shots are fired. Yup, just ask the cop that died, or his widow, or fatherless children. That was buried Monday I believe. So, why are cops jumpy?
Yes, the cop should’ve waited until a gun was actually sighted. Or would you prefer to be the one who was shot because he answered the door and apparently moved his arm towards his waist? How many times would *you* have done that in the past? Of course cops are likely to get shot at; it goes with the territory, just like a military grunt.
Lets say this was a REAL hostage situation. The cops just killed a hostage in that case. Because the real killer, isnt going to answer the door himself, hes going to send a hostage. The cops screwed up, big time.
IMO Solitary w/out communication with the outside world. He NEEDS an audience. He NEEDS someone to brag to. Take that away and the full gravity of what he has done will set in very fast.
He certainly cannot be safely allowed the traditional access to phone calls. No computer access. Threats can be sent via mail too. Cut off from electronics he seems like the type to mail threats and powders. Sick in the head. He needs to be removed from society. Some people are simply not safe to allow to interact with other humans. This also goes for the other person who gave him the false number. Peas in a pod.
IMO This swatter needs to go to trial in Kansas as opposed to Los Angeles. If he’s tried on involuntary manslaughter in Kansas, the maximum penalty for that class 5 felony is around 10 years. If, on the other hand, he’s tried in Commiefornia, he’ll probably get a short sentence that’ll get overturned by the 9th circuit for some ludicrous reason.
1. Is it true that Barriss made his latest bomb/swat threats from a halfway house, where he is still technically in BOP custody?
How does he have access to unmonitored electronic devices and the unmonitored internet after the crimes he has committed?
2. Has there been any repricusion for the man who hired/enlisted Barriss to make this specific phone call that led to the death of an innocent person? From what I understand, Barriss wasn’t involved in the Call of Duty game and only became involved when one of the players contacted him requesting he swat someone.
Based on the context in those DMs, it looks like the number of school incidents he’s claiming would be ~10.
I hate to be That Guy, but lots of people are uncritically repeating this claim, which seemed dubious to begin with. And the guy says he’s orchestrated twenty attacks, ten of which he lists as homes. So the ten remaining would presumably be the schools (typoed as 100 instead of 10).
What’s dubious about it? He’s a known serial offender already.
100 is a number. What’s unreasonable about it? Easily achieved in an afternoon if one cared to.
I take his claim seriously. Even if he’s lying, it’s extremely plausible. He should be held to it in court, he volunteered that information.
Lock him up and forget his name, fix the vulnerability
Brian,
Just wondering. Could there be a connection between this (alleged) butthead and his buddies, and the ones calling in threats to the JCCs and yeshivas a short while ago?
Concerning something else mentioned in the article:
“Each incident costs first responders approximately $10,000…”
I would be wary, these calculations are always questionable and suspect. Do they calculate in the fuel used to get to the address? Did they calculate the cost of the fired bullet? Maybe the oil used to clean the gun afterwards? Do they calculate in the post crime investigation time? All of these things are not additional cost, but the normal things done by police departments. Bringing in off duty cops or having to pay overtime, yes. There might be hidden cost like cotton swabs, pictures, film, Zerox copies, but this cannot add up to $10,000. Corporations do the same calculation inflating when it comes to supposed losses due to internet problems, etc. Such cost inflating has been appropriately documented in the past.
Dude, that’s on the LOW end.
SWAT probably makes at least $50k a year. That’s $25 an hour. A salaried employee typically costs a company twice the salary (benefits and other things), so $50 per hour is the actual cost. Ten SWAT guys for only a couple hours, you are already talking $1000 in pure salary, no equipment or consumables or additional support, regular police, or dispatch, etc.
Then there’s all the other team members, the time they spend writing it up (which is probably longer than the incident itself), the dispatchers. Yeah, I could see it top $10k real quick.
Not making excuses for the guy but the basic problem here is the gun culture in the USA.
Police come along ready to blow the hell out of people because everyone & their dog has guns. Not just hand guns, oh no – assualt rifles (and worse)! There’s no excuse to have those in a (sub)urban area – none.
63 gun-related deaths in the USA in the first 48 hours of 2018 says it all.
You guys need to sort yourselves out. Seriously.
This is exactly it. Had this been a real hostage situation, do you think the killer is going to come to the door himself? The cops just killed a hostage. Thats how it would have went down IF it was an actual hostage situation.
He’s definitely guilty and should pay a price, but he murdered no one. He is a party to a crime that involves *at least* 3 people.
1. The person who provided the false address endangered the occupants, one of which who was killed.
2. SWAuTistic made a false call pretending to be from the provided address and endangered the occupants, one of which who was killed.
3. The officer who killed an unarmed victim of a “prank”.
I was also under the impression that SWAuTistic was not the player who initially got taunted. From what I know, it was one of SWAuTistic’s buddies who was playing and passed off the address after *they were taunted. If this is the case, that’s person 4. Additionally, there are actors who hold bit parts/responsibility.
As Brian pointed out, the receiver of the call had a pretty substantial red flag they missed from the beginning (the caller didn’t call 911). The police force erred in their hire and/or training of the cop who killed the unarmed victim. And the people who knew of SWAuTistic’s exploits but didn’t intervene.
SWAuTistic is guilty but I would argue he is not the most guilty party involved, and the media ought to expand their focus beyond SWAuTistic to give a more honest and even reading of the events that took place and the distribution of responsibility for the crimes that took place that day.
When you are listing those you feel are guilty of this crime you have ignored the individual that paid SWAuTistic to commit the crime. That is conspiracy to commit what should be considered a felony.
I really don’t believe the person that gave out the false address that was the intended target is guilty of a crime.
“When you are listing those you feel are guilty of this crime you have ignored the individual that paid SWAuTistic to commit the crime.”
No I didn’t. It is/was my understanding that the person who gave the false address is the same one who reached out to SWAuTistic.
I think one thing that is being missed here is that the police screwed up big time. This incident highlights one of the problems with police in the US, their heavy handed trigger happy tactics. Lets imagine this for a second. Let pretend this was a credible call. That a son had just killed someone. The cops come knocking and the killer sends one of the hostages to the door. In this situation, the cops just killed a hostage. They screwed up here, big time.
If this guy is not tried, convicted and given a really lengthy prison sentence, then he’d better be committed to a mental institution for the criminally insane.
how about “felony murder.” Is SWatting a feloney in his state, the state the person hired him lives in, or where the victim lived in?
If so it could be considered felony murder and RICO. In the case of ‘felony murder’ it does not need to matter if death was the intended result of the conspiracy. Since the death occurred as the result of a person being paid to commit a felony the crime might be prosecuted under this rarely used situation. All the parties involved in the conspiracy could be prosecuted under the RICO laws.
This sort of prosecution, if it occurs very publicly and reported in the blogs that talk about multi-player gaming might function as a real deterrence to swatting.