Federal prosecutors in Kansas announced Tuesday that a 25-year-old California man has admitted to being responsible for the death of a man in Wichita after he reported swatting the unsuspecting citizen late last year.
Swatting is a type of “prank” in which someone makes a false complaint to a law enforcement agency, which when successful usually results in the police or a law enforcement team raiding the home of the unsuspecting victim. The term comes from the “SWAT” (special weapons and tactics) law enforcement unit, a specialized type of police unit in the United States and many other countries that uses military-style equipment and takes on serious incidents.
According to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas, Tyler Barriss was found guilty of making a false report, which resulted in the death of an innocent person. He also admitted to being part of "dozens of similar crimes in which no one was injured.".
In May 2018, Barriss was charged with manslaughter and other offenses including cyberstalking and fraud.
U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said Tuesday that Barriss will be sentenced to at least 20 years in prison.
“Without ever being in Wichita himself, the defendant created a chaotic situation that quickly escalated from dangerous to deadly,” McAllister said in his statement. “The reasons he did so were frivolous and his disregard for the safety of others was inexcusable.”
Barriss also participated in a bomb phone call to the Federal Communications Commission in December 2017, intended to disrupt a vote on net neutrality rules.
“I am deeply grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, local law enforcement, and FCC security officials for their efforts to solve this case and protect this service,” Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. “We will continue to work to fulfill the FCC’s mission.”.
Barriss was also found guilty on 46 other counts by federal court in Los Angeles. In this case, he made threatening phone calls about bombings of schools, universities, shopping malls and television stations.
Barriss' two associates – Casey Viner, 18, and Shane Gaskill, 20, are also awaiting their own trial.
According to Barriss’ plea, prosecutors added that “he admitted to working with Viner and Gaskill after they had an argument while playing the game Call of Duty online. As a result, Viner, who was in Ohio, asked Barriss, who was in California, to swatt Gaskill, who was in Wichita. Gaskill discovered that he was being followed and, through online messages, provoked Barriss into performing the swatting. Gaskill, however, tricked him by claiming to reside at 1033 W. McCormick, when in fact he no longer lived there.”
The 25-year-old from California is scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2019, in federal court in Wichita.
So far, such incidents have not been reported in our country.
