Hoax 'swatting' incident triggers massive police response
Disturbing prank among gamers sends dozens of cops to New York home
Dozens of heavily armed police officers descended on a home in Long Beach, Long Island, Tuesday afternoon thinking they might find a grisly murder scene. Instead they found a terrified woman who had no clue what they were talking about and her teenaged son playing video games.
"We received a phone call from a gentleman who stated he had just shot his mother and his brother," Long Beach Police Commissioner Michael Tangney said. "Unfortunately, this is a terrible national problem for law enforcement. It's called swatting."
The call was a hoax. Police are investigating whether the teenager's video game opponent made the call as revenge for losing the game, Tangney said.
The boy was playing "Call of Duty." The hoax call came in shortly after Rafael Castillo had "killed" an opponent in the game.
"When people playing a video game, if they lose they call the police and mimic the person that they lost to and say that they've killed family members and then they see how many people they can get to come down there," Tangney said.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
