UPDATE: Family Targeted in ‘Swatting’ Attack—Hoax Call Put Their Lives in Serious Danger

What first appeared to be a nightmarish report of a double homicide and arson threat has now been confirmed as something far more disturbing: a deliberate swatting attack that placed an innocent family and responding officers in grave danger. Awakened by Armed Officers The family says they were asleep when they were jolted awake by the terrifying sight of multiple law enforcement agencies surrounding their home, weapons drawn, responding to what they believed was an active, deadly situation. According to the victim, the 911 call did not come from inside the home at all. Instead, it originated from a “ghost number”—a spoofed or masked phone number that makes tracing the caller extremely difficult. As of now, officers do not have a suspect. The Call That Nearly Got Someone Killed What makes this case especially alarming is how far the swatter went. According to the police report, Stayed on the line with dispatch Repeatedly escalated the story Claimed multiple shootings Threatened to kill responding officers Apparently played fake “shots fired” sound effects over the phone Dispatchers reported hearing gunfire on the call—something which seems to have been manufactured to sound real. Hear the massive response and coordination That detail is critical. It meant officers were approaching the home believing they were dealing with an armed, barricaded killer, dramatically increasing the risk that the homeowner could have been seriously injured or killed during the response. Massive Multi-Agency Response Based on the call, officers from: Portsmouth Police Department Scioto County Sheriff’s Office Ohio State Patrol rushed to the scene, treating it as a worst-case scenario. The first officer staged at a nearby church. A perimeter was established. Ambulances were held back until officers could clear what they believed was an active homicide scene. Then the Truth Came Out When officers finally made entry: The wife was alive and unharmed There was no fire No victims No weapons No evidence of any crime In short: the family was swatted. Conflicting Accounts Police reports indicate that someone was detained at the scene, but the family says that never happened, reinforcing that they were treated not as suspects—but as shocked victims caught in the middle of a hoax. What Is Swatting—and Why Is It So Dangerous? Swatting is a form of criminal harassment where someone makes a false emergency report—often claiming shootings, hostages, or bombs—to trigger a heavily armed police response at an unsuspecting person’s home. It has: Led to people being shot and killed Terrorized families Tied up emergency resources Put officers in life-or-death situations based on lies Swatting calls are often: Made using spoofed or “ghost” numbers Routed through multiple states or countries Enhanced with background noise, recordings, or scripts to sound real A Pattern, Not an Isolated Case Just last week, we reported on a swatting incident in Kentucky, where a hoax threat targeted Boyd County Middle School and Ashland Middle School. Investigators there traced the call to a number linked to similar swatting attempts in Texas, reinforcing how organized and mobile these attackers can be. In those cases, officials credited rapid coordination and trained officers with preventing panic or injury. But not every swatting ends safely. The Real Victims This Portsmouth family did nothing wrong—and yet they were: Surrounded by armed officers Placed in mortal danger Traumatized in their own home And all because someone wanted chaos. ❓ The Question Now Swatting isn’t a prank. It’s not a joke. It’s a violent act by proxy. 👉 What should the penalty be for someone who makes a hoax call that could get an innocent person—or a police officer—killed? 👉 And should swatting be treated the same as pulling the trigger yourself? For this family, the damage is already done. Now the community—and the justice system—must decide what accountability should look like.

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