FBI Investigation, 5 Years In Jail, Thousands Of Dollars Wasted: Consequences Of Swatting Calls

Panic and fear broke out at the University of Oklahoma back in April when multiple calls came in claiming there was an active shooter on campus. We now know those calls were all fake, and there was never any danger to OU students or faculty.

While there was not imminent danger as the calls describe, there are serious consequences for these fake 911 or swatting calls. Swatting calls drain local law enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars and can result in up to 5 years in prison.

Swatting calls are described as fake, or hoax calls for emergencies that usually end in the deployment of swat vehicles. These can be phone calls, text messages, social media posts, emails or even chat room messages.

Norman Police Department released dozens of 911 calls and body camera footage from officers who responded to the swatting calls on OU’s campus.

In the 911 calls, you can hear what sound like gunshots, and multiple calls allege there was a shooter on campus.

“We're sitting here in the south oval and there's somebody running around with an AR-15,” one call said.

“He's heading towards the libraries right now! Shots fired, shots fired,” said another call.

One caller claimed he got home to a disturbing note left by his son.

“My son has left a note here saying, ‘Dad, I love you, but I have to go to the university and shoot everybody,” said one caller.

A few hours after these calls came in, law enforcement was able to determine it was all a hoax known as swatting calls.

“Just relax, we're starting to think it was swatting,” said one officer on campus.

We talked with the FBI about swatting calls and the serious consequences these callers can have. In the case of the OU swatting incident, hundreds of officers responded to the scene from multiple agencies.

“When we receive a call that there is a threat to life it is an immediate response,” said Special Agent in Charge, Sonia Garcia. 

Garcia explains these swatting calls pull local law enforcement from real emergencies, and cost thousands of taxpayer dollars.

“We'll deploy the bomb squad, our crisis response, and then other police specialty units to help assist. We estimate that every time a swat unit is deployed that's several thousand dollars,” said Garcia.

It’s not just draining local resources, people that make swatting calls can have federal repercussions. This can result in criminal charges for conspiracy or threatening interstate communications.

“When it's determined to be a hoax an individual can be charged and in prison for up to 5 years,” said Garcia.

With the local, national and overseas resources the FBI has on hand, Garcia says it’s not difficult for them to track down the fake callers. She says sometimes these calls can be traced in a matter of minutes, but the investigations can take months or even years as they work to ensure they find all the callers or co-conspirators.

Garcia says it’s not just a phone call that can result in criminal charges; it can be social media posts, text messages, emails, or even posts in online chat rooms.

“It can be perceived as a threat even if it's something innocent. Once that messaging is out there it's out there and you can't pull that back,” said Garcia.

Garcia urges parents to have a conversation with their children about the severity of fake 911 calls, and ensure their social media is clean, so they are not getting into federal trouble.

If you come across any threatening info or possible swatting, you’re asked to reach out to the FBI tip line: tips.fbi.gov