What started as a terrifying report of gunfire and a hostage in a McMinnville home this week has ended with a 17-year-old Maryville boy facing felony charges for what police say was a swatting stunt gone wrong.
McMinnville police say officers rushed to a home within city limits on Monday after a caller claimed one person had been shot and another was being held hostage inside. Officers secured and cleared the residence, only to find no victims, no gunman, and no active threat. A short time later, three more calls came in repeating the exact same false story, and detectives say it became clear they were dealing with a coordinated hoax.
Investigators followed digital leads and identified a 17-year-old boy from Maryville who they say had a connection to someone staying at the targeted residence, according to WSMV. Detective Sgt. Katelyn Neal of the McMinnville Police Department and Agent Jared Jacobs with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security traveled to Maryville to interview the teen…