Synagogue Threats: Orange County Juvenile Arrested for ‘Swatting’ Calls
A teenager was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Tuesday after it was discovered that he was related to a string of suspected “swatting” calls that were directed toward synagogues in Orange County.
Making false allegations of criminal activity in order to attract a large number of police enforcement officers to a certain location is an act known as “swatting.”
Within the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the arrest of the juvenile suspect. Neither the specifics of the arrest nor the age of the suspect have been made public at this time.
Orange County juvenile arrested for making “swatting” calls targeting synagogues:
Orange County juvenile arrested for making “swatting” calls targeting synagogues https://t.co/HlpMlvwAwo
— KCAL News (@kcalnews) December 14, 2023
However, they did make the observation that the suspect was associated with a much larger internet ring of people who were making swatting calls around the country.
This ring “included members who espoused extremist views, to include the glorification of highly publicized mass killers.” they said.
“A series of the hoax swatting threats had been made over the summer targeting numerous religious, educational, and public institutions in the United States, to include Jewish synagogues and African American churches,” according to a statement released by the FBI. “The group suspected of perpetrating the hoaxes was known to have called in bomb threats and swatting attempts at Jewish facilities, including at least 25 synagogues in 13 states between July 2023 and August 2023.”
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office anticipates that the juvenile will be charged at the state level in connection with two episodes of swatting that occurred at synagogues located in the cities of Fullerton and Tustin.
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The server that was used to host the illegal swatting network has been effectively removed by the authorities.
According to the statement, the job was completed with significant assistance from law enforcement officers from both New York and Southern California.
“The false swatting threats made in this case drained law enforcement resources and caused a negative financial impact on local communities,” according to the FBI’s statement. “Evidence has shown that making false threats can cause significant distress to victims and can cause physical injury to first responders or other victims.”
