A multi-agency investigation involving the FBI and the Collin County Sheriff’s Department led to the apprehension of an East Texas juvenile who allegedly committed more than 100 bomb threats and swatting calls.
Swatting is when someone makes a false emergency call that leads to the dispatch of a SWAT team or police to another person’s address. This often involves fake reports of serious crimes, like hostage situations or bomb threats, leading to potentially violent confrontations and significant risks to innocent people. It is a federal crime.
The juvenile’s crimes purportedly spanned the nation, with incidents reported in the Houston area and as far away as Pennsylvania.
Here is some of what CBS News Texas reported about the development:
A Texas juvenile has been arrested after the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, Tyler Police Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI executed a search warrant in Smith County on Saturday, June 29.
Investigators say the juvenile was actively trying to stay hidden from law enforcement using “sophisticated techniques” before authorities uncovered their identity through “persistent online investigative efforts.”
In a press release, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office said the operation “successfully identified a juvenile suspect responsible for numerous bomb threats and swatting hoaxes across multiple states.”
The multi-agency investigation began in May 2024 when the suspect called and initiated a swatting incident at a residence in St. Paul, Texas. The investigation has linked the suspect to bomb threats at various Brookshire grocery stores, including in North Texas as well as schools in the Tyler area, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, and Mission ISD.