Gamer Charged With Manslaughter For Swatting Prank
The gamer responsible for the swatting prank that resulted in Andrew Finch’s police shooting death has been charged with manslaughter.
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A swatting prank by a gamer playing Call of Duty allegedly sparked the chain of events that led to the death of someone completely unrelated to the situation.
The world of online gaming is an incredible and highly populated one. From FIFA and Madden to Grand Theft Auto and Battlefield, it’s now possible to play anyone anywhere in the world on whatever game you choose. Hard to imagine that it has only been a little over 20 years since the release of the Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64 isn’t it?
With the amazing world of online gaming comes a lot of issues, however. Presumably those reading this article have at least dabbled in that world and for those of us who have more than dabbled, who hasn’t had profanities yelled at them from a thirteen-year-old boy on the other side of the world? Unfortunately the issues involved in gaming online extend much further than teenagers swearing at their rivals.
The issue of swatting is one that is becoming all too prominent among gamers, and a recent case has allegedly led to the death of a young man named Andrew Finch. The case began with an argument over a $1.50 Call Of Duty bet. The intended target of the swatting lied about his address, giving Finch’s instead. Barriss called the police and claimed that his adversary was heading up a real life hostage situation at his home.
Thinking the situation to be real, a SWAT team showed up at Finch’s house and shot after a standoff. As reported by IGN, Barriss is now being charged with involuntary manslaughter since the call that he placed seemingly caused the the events that led to Finch’s death. If convicted, Barriss could face up to 34 months in jail plus a fine of up to $300,000.
This isn’t the first time Barriss has been involved in a swatting incident. According to Rolling Stone, the Call Of Duty player is also currently on the hook for a swatting incident in Canada, however no one was injured or killed in that case. In another swatting incident in 2014, not involving Barriss, 60 police officers showed up at a gamer’s house after someone had falsely reported that he had killed his mother and planned to kill others.
Josh has been gaming for as long as he can remember. That love began with a mild childhood addiction to the Sega Genesis, or Mega Drive since he lives in the UK. Back then, Sonic 2 quickly became his favorite game and as you might have guessed from his picture, the franchise has remained close to his heart ever since. Nowadays, he splits his time between his PS4 and his Switch and spends far too much time playing Fortnite. If you’re a fan of gaming, wrestling, and soccer, give him a follow on Twitter @BristolBeadz.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/swatting-manslaughter-charged/