A 17-year-old from California was arrested this week for allegedly causing hundreds of swatting incidents throughout the country, including making several bomb threats.
The teen has been dubbed a “serial swatter” and is now facing charges for a swatting incident at a mosque in Florida, where he was extradited this week, according to the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office.
Swatting is a recent internet trend that sees people make fake threats to the police with the intention of having them respond to unsuspecting locations in force.
While swatting has boomed in popularity with the internet, the FBI says it has been on its radar for almost two decades, as it became widely known as targets of the prank included more famous people.
Along with internet streamers who have some more public swatting jokes in recent months, several lawmakers were targeted in the last two months, as well as several state capitol buildings.
As for the teen, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office reported that he threatened a mass shooting at the Masjid Al Hayy Mosque in Sanford, Florida, in May 2023.