The Los Angeles man at the center of what is believed to be the first fatal “swatting” incident in the U.S. has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a hoax phone call that led to a deadly shooting in Kansas, records show. Tyler Rai Barriss, 25, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and interference with law enforcement, according to court records made public Friday. Glendale police believe he was involved in at least two dozen other swatting and hoax calls around Southern California. This week, Canadian police issued an arrest warrant for Barriss, accusing him of placing an eerily similar call just six days before the Kansas shooting. Marc Bennett, details from court records and background about a separate hoax in Calgary of which Barriss is accused.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 12, 2018 20:43 UTC