California Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Fatal 'Swatting' Case

The internet age has led to a new generation of pranks, some of which have proven to be extremely dangerous. One such prankster is going to prison because of one of these pranks gone wrong.

According to the Associated Press, Tyler R. Barriss, a 26-year-old California man, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a fatal “swatting” call in 2017. Friday's sentencing comes after Barriss pled guilty to 51 federal charges in November.

For anyone unfamiliar, “swatting” involves someone calling 911 in an effort to send an emergency response to someone else’s home through a falsely reported crime. These calls usually involve claiming that said person is holding hostages, has a bomb or is planning to commit some kind of violent act.

In this case, the “swatting” came about because of a dispute in the video game “Call of Duty: WWII” over a $1.50 bet. Originally reported by the Wichita Eagle, the argument was between Shane Gaskill of Wichita, Kansas, and Casey Viner of Ohio. Barriss became involved when Viner recruited him to swat Gaskill, providing an address Viner believed to be correct.

Barriss then called the police, claiming that someone had killed a person and was holding two hostages at the provided address. The police raided the home of 28-year-old Andrew Finch, killing him when they thought they saw him reaching for a weapon. Finch was not armed and didn’t know any of the men involved in the “Call of Duty” dispute.

Viner and Gaskill, who are currently on trial, originally pleading not guilty to charges that include wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and more. Viner is scheduled to change his plea to guilty in the coming days while Gaskill’s trial has been delayed to April 23 while he is in plea talks with prosecutors.

Finch’s family is also suing the city of Wichita and the unidentified officers involved.