A Teenager Was Arrested By RCMP In Canada For Allegedly 'Swatting' Schools In The US
911 calls were made with someone claiming to be inside schools with a firearm.
An 18-year-old has been arrested by RCMP for allegedly "swatting" schools in the U.S. after 911 calls were made with someone claiming to be inside a school with a firearm.
In August, Manitoba RCMP's East District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team received a request to assist law enforcement agencies in the U.S., including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with two swatting incidents in Tennessee and two in North Carolina.
"Swatting" is when a phone call is made that falsely describes a life-threatening situation to create an armed police response.
Police departments in the U.S. reported getting 911 calls from someone saying he was inside a school with a firearm and was going to start shooting. Those schools went into lockdown and a large number of police officers, including SWAT officers, responded.
An initial investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found that the calls originated from a number registered to a residence in Manitoba. After further investigation by the RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service, they traced it to a residence located on the Fisher River Cree Nation.
On August 30, officers went to the residence and executed a search warrant where electronic items were seized. Officers arrested an 18-year-old at the residence who was taken into custody and later released for court.