Juvenile Charged In East Lyme Swatting Incident: Police

EAST LYME, CT — A 15-year-old boy is facing charges in a swatting incident, according to East Lyme police. The Pennsylvania resident is accused of falsely reporting an active shooter incident in East Lyme.

Police received a call Aug. 23 at 2:31 p.m. from a caller who said his father may have been killed and that the shooter was his brother. The caller described in detail how the brother was actively searching the home for the caller and his mother, who were hiding.

The call triggered a large-scale response by East Lyme police and the Flanders Fire Department, who believed they were responding to an active shooter incident, according to police. Officers established a perimeter and ensured that residents in the condominium complex were moved to safe locations.

Dispatchers remained on the line with the caller for more than 11 minutes as he provided a detailed description of what had occurred and that the gunman was actively hunting for him before the caller disconnected.

When police entered the residence, they found it was empty. East Lyme police immediately identified this as a swatting incident and started a criminal investigation. The investigation involved several search and seizure warrants for technology companies, and police determined that the phone call was made using a phone app that can generate an originating phone number.

Police eventually discovered that the call originated in Pennsylvania and, with the help of Pennsylvania authorities, identified the caller. Police said the caller was involved in an online gaming chat with others who also "engaged in calls to businesses around the country."

The 15-year-old juvenile was arrested and charged with first-degree falsely reporting an incident, misuse of emergency 911 system, disorderly conduct, conspiracy to commit falsely reporting an incident, and conspiracy to commit misuse of 911 system.