Fatal ‘swatting’ hoaxer faces more charges

An American man accused of orchestrating a deadly “swatting” incident now faces 46 more charges.

The charges against Tyler Barriss include financial fraud and fake threats of bombs and shootings made to police and schools.

A fake call about a hostage situation, allegedly by Mr Barriss, prompted armed police to respond and mistakenly kill Wichita resident Andrew Finch.

Mr Barriss is currently held in Kansas for his alleged role in the death.

“Swatting” is when a person makes a false report to send police to another person’s home or poses as another person to send police to a fake address.

Violent threat

This incident arose following a dispute in the Call of Duty video game between two men. One of them owned the home occupied and rented by Mr Finch and this address was given to Mr Barriss as the place to send police.

The two men have been charged for their role in the fatal incident. Both have pleaded not guilty.

US federal prosecutors filed the fresh charges in a California court, claiming that many of the crimes were committed when Mr Barriss lived in Los Angeles.

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The charge sheet details incidents in which Mr Barriss is suspected of being involved, between September 2014 and December 2017.

Many of the charges relate to fake calls about bombs planted in schools, federal buildings and universities. Others relate to separate swatting incidents, bank fraud, other hoax calls to police departments and threats of violence.

Local news organisations in Kansas said Mr Barriss would plead guilty to the long list of charges. He has previously pleaded not guilty to the other charges he is facing in Kansas, including involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors in Kansas have filed a request to move the trial over the new charges to the state.

The trial to consider charges against Mr Barriss for his alleged role in the death of Mr Finch is due to start in January 2019.