At around 7:30 p.m. on April 5, 2023, a 911 call was made to the Collin County Sheriff's Office, claiming that a person killed their mother and was armed inside a residence in Princeton, Texas.
According to the Collin County Sheriff’s office, thirty-two police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel from local agencies rushed to the scene. However, upon arrival, the law enforcement authorities concluded that the call was a swatting incident involving someone provoking an intense law enforcement reaction at an innocent person's home.
Following the incident, the Collin County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Bureau conducted an investigation and was able to identify the perpetrator, located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. On May 2, 2023, Collin County Sheriff's Office deputies, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, carried out search and arrest warrants in Monroe County. The operation went smoothly, and a 17-year-old, juvenile male suspect was apprehended without any issues.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to placing the swatting call in Princeton, as well as similar calls in Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, California and Kentucky. An initial digital forensic analysis of the suspect's electronic devices unearthed evidence of additional swatting calls in various locations, and investigators are collaborating with law enforcement agencies in those jurisdictions to pursue the leads.
The suspect is currently detained at the Bucks County Juvenile Detention Center in Pennsylvania, facing several charges, including possession of child pornography, false alarms, false reports and possession of instruments of a crime. (According to the sheriff’s office, a significant number of child pornography images were also discovered on the suspect's electronic devices.) After resolving the charges in Pennsylvania, the suspect will be transferred to Texas, where he faces a charge of false report to induce emergency response.
The suspect's name was not released, as he is considered a juvenile in Pennsylvania. This investigation is ongoing.
