A US teenager has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a 'swatting' prank call that led to the fatal shooting of an innocent man. Casey Viner, 19, from Ohio, conspired with fellow gamer Tyler Barriss to make the hoax call to police in December 2017.
During the call, Barriss falsely claimed he was holding his family hostage at an address in Kansas. When armed police arrived, they shot and killed Andrew Finch, a 28-year-old father of two who had no involvement in the video game dispute that sparked the hoax.
The incident began after a row between Viner and another gamer, Shane Gaskill, while playing Call of Duty. Gaskill provided an address that he claimed was his own, but it was actually Finch's home. Barriss then called 911 with the false hostage report.
Viner pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice. In addition to his prison sentence, he will be banned from gaming for two years. 'We impose sentences not only for what people intend, but what happened,' said US District Judge Eric Melgren.
Tyler Barriss was sentenced earlier this year to 20 years in prison. The police officer who shot Finch was not charged, as there was insufficient evidence to show he acted unreasonably given the circumstances.
US Attorney Stephen McAllister condemned swatting as 'reckless, dangerous and, as this case proves, potentially tragic'. He urged gamers to 'self-police their community to ensure that the practice of swatting is ended once and for all'.
