An 11-year-old Virginia boy is charged in Florida with calling in more than 20 bomb or shooting threats to schools and other places, authorities said Thursday.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said during a news conference that authorities worked hard to find the caller before the school year resumes.

“This kid’s behavior was escalating and becoming more dangerous,” Staly said. “I’m glad we got him before he escalated out of control and hurt someone.”

Swatting is slang for making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to send a SWAT team or other armed police officers to a particular place.

  • A_Filthy_Weeaboo@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Some kids just are demented; not all kids, just some.

    It’s kinda like that old “trick” of burning ants under a magnifying glass in the hot sun? At the time it made you feel powerful, but as you get older you reflect and realize how fucked up it was?

    It’s just that taken to the extreme (just a guess at least)

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Yeah, but I would still think he would do schools in his area so he could see the fallout more closely… however, someone else suggested they were convinced to do it to another school through people they met gaming online. That makes more sense to me.

      • A_Filthy_Weeaboo@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Agreed, might also gave the kid a sense of anonymity too…

        Oh well, it caught up with him, hopefully he doesn’t re-offend