Bogus shooting report deceives family, sheriffs

Published 4:47 pm Friday, July 13, 2012

KINGSTON — A family in Kingston and local law enforcement officers were duped by a false shooting report June 16.

According to the report, Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies and police officers from surrounding agencies responded to an address in Kingston, after a 9-1-1 call came in from a TTY relay operator (used by hearing impaired people who type in phone calls). The operator relayed a possible shooting had taken place.

A young man reportedly said his father was “going crazy” and had just shot and killed his sister, and was threatening to shoot himself in the head.

When officers arrived, they detained the father, who said he had no idea who made the call and said he had no daughter. Officers found no evidence that a shooting had taken place.

The son, who did not make the 9-1-1 phone call, explained he believed the “bogus” call was most likely made by a person he played video games with online, who had recently been kicked off the website.

This person, who is believed to live in Canada, reportedly said to the son he was going to have the victim’s house “swatted,” apparently meaning someone calls and attempts to have a SWAT team to respond to someone else’s residence.

Sheriff’s deputies have contacted Shaw Communications of Canada to find the alleged suspect, while the investigation continues.