911 SWAT call a hoax

AMHERST, OH — A 911 call that a man shot his mother and was going to shoot his brother turned out to be a hoax to get the SWAT team at a home on Winesap Road, according to the Amherst Police Department.

This prank is called “swatting,” is a scheme get the SWAT team to arrive at a victim’s house and scare them, according to police.

The Lorain County 911 center received a TTY/TDD call at 9:10 p.m. that a man shot his mother three times and was going to do the same to his little brother. That type of call is used by the hearing impaired and stands for TeleTypewriter Telecommunications/Device for the Deaf.

Amherst officers rushed to the scene and confirmed the call was a hoax. Officers set up a perimeter around the house and an officer talked to the homeowner, who said she was safe and her sons were not home. Police determined it was a hoax before the SWAT arrived, according to police.

Swatting’ calls, which have become more popular during the last year, usually say there is something so violent happening that they require a response from the SWAT team, according to ABC News.

In recent cases, the calls have been placed through electronic devices, such Xbox gaming systems, to make police dispatchers believe the call is coming from the home, ABC News reported.

Those convicted of swatting can face federal charges of conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as fraud charges, according to ABC News.

Read the story here.

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