SWATting Is Not a Prank. It’s a Dangerous Crime.

Published June 5, 2018 6:01pm ET



On Tuesday morning, a call came into the Broward County Sheriff’s Office “claiming there was a barricaded person” at a Parkland, Florida, address that just happens to be the home of anti-gun activist David Hogg. News reports have described the hoax call as a “prank.” Wrong.

“Pranks” are when you order a bunch of pizzas and send them to a frenemy’s house, or when you steal the rival high school’s mascot before the big game. What happened on Tuesday was “SWATting,” and it’s more akin to attempted murder.

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