A juvenile accused of making more than 100 “swatting” calls and fake bomb threats has been identified and will face charges, according to a news release from the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, whose name has not been released because of their age, is accused of making these calls to several states, according to the news release. The investigation into the calls began with a swatting incident in May, where police were called to a home in St. Paul, Minnesota, based on a false report.
Swatting is when someone calls police to make a false report, usually with the apparent intention of getting a response from SWAT teams.
Investigators said the juvenile made these calls to authorities in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. While investigators aren’t done looking into the suspect’s calls, they have already identified more than 100 instances across those states.
A search warrant was executed in Smith County, east of DFW on Interstate 20, on June 29, during which investigators were able to confirm the identity of the suspect. In addition to swatting calls, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office said the juvenile made bomb threats to Brookshire’s grocery stores and schools in the Tyler area and at Cypress-Fairbanks school district and Mission school district.
The sheriff’s office said the juvenile employed “sophisticated techniques to stay hidden,” but that investigators were able to determine an identity.
“Swatting and bomb threats pose significant dangers and law enforcement has seen a marked increase of these events in recent years,” the shierff’s office said in the news release. “These malicious hoaxes create panic, endanger lives, and divert valuable resources from police, fire, and emergency medical services.”
Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner said swatting hoaxes and bomb threats “potentially endanger innocent civilians” and that his office is committed to identifying people who make those calls.
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