A Texas juvenile has been arrested following a multi-agency probe that revealed he allegedly made more than 100 bomb threats and hoax calls to initiate a police SWAT team response in several states, according to local and federal authorities.
The FBI, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, the Tyler Police Department, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in Smith County on June 29. The operation targeted the minor suspected of facilitating numerous fake threats.
Investigators uncovered the suspect’s identity following “persistent online investigative efforts,” despite the juvenile’s attempts to remain hidden from law enforcement using “sophisticated techniques,” according to officials.
The probe began in May when the suspect, who remains unidentified due to his age, initiated a SWAT team response, known as swatting, at a home in St. Paul, Texas. The investigation linked the suspect to other bomb threats at Brookshire’s grocery stores, schools in the Tyler area, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, and Mission ISD.
The juvenile’s “dangerous hoaxes” spanned more than 100 locations in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, according to a statement by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
Swatting involves “calling 9-1-1 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement—usually a SWAT team,” as defined by the FBI. The callers often report illegitimate stories to police about a hostage situation or bomb threat.
Swatting has been on the FBI’s radar since the trend emerged nearly two decades ago. It gained nationwide attention when several high-profile celebrities, including actor Ashton Kutcher and singer Justin Bieber, became victims of the hoaxes.
According to federal officials, swatting situations place the community in danger when first responders rush to the scene. Such hoaxes also take first responders away from real emergencies. Furthermore, unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves amid an unexpected law enforcement response, therefore putting officers in harm’s way.
In some cases, swatting incidents have turned deadly. Tyler Barriss, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for a deadly swatting incident in Wichita, Kansas, in December 2017. The California man was charged with making a hoax call to police that resulted in an innocent man being shot and killed by police.
“Swatting and bomb threats pose significant dangers and law enforcement has seen a marked increase of these events in recent years,” according to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.“These malicious hoaxes create panic, endanger lives, and divert valuable resources from police, fire, and emergency medical services.”
The charges against the juvenile suspect are pending and the investigation remains ongoing.