The Swatting Epidemic in America and How a Criminal Subculture Thrives on Fear and Impunity

By Mat Kwairn, Clear Point News

Swatting is not a prank. It is not a joke. It is terrorism. It is the deliberate weaponization of emergency services to inflict trauma, chaos, and, in some cases, death. Yet, despite the severity of these crimes, perpetrators often walk away with little more than a slap on the wrist.

Alan W. Filion, an 18-year-old from Lancaster, California, embodies everything that is wrong with the way we handle swatting cases.

What was Alan W. Filion’s motive for swatting? Between August 2022 and January 2024, he ran a business of fear, offering swatting-for-hire services at a price. Forty dollars would get you a fake gas leak report, fifty dollars would send an armed police force to someone’s front door, and seventy-five dollars could shut down an entire school with a bomb or mass shooting threat. He did this not just for profit but for power. He admitted in his own words that he experienced a “power trip” from watching the chaos unfold. And yet, Filion’s 48-month sentence barely scratches the surface of what should be done to combat swatting as a national crisis.

The Psychology of a Swatter

Swatters are not just bored teenagers making nuisance calls. They are sadists, deriving pleasure from the terror and suffering of others. The thrill is not just in watching armed officers breach a home, but in knowing that inside, a family is frozen in fear, children are crying, and innocent people could be moments from death. The swatter does not care. In fact, they delight in it. They take to online forums to brag about their “successful” attacks, celebrating the screams and the sheer panic of their victims.

Filion is far from the only one. There exists an entire underground network of swatters who compete for notoriety. Some are motivated by revenge—gamers targeting opponents who beat them in a match, former friends or partners using police as a weapon. Others do it for status within online communities that thrive on infamy. But no matter the motive, the outcome is the same: terrorized victims, wasted emergency resources, and, in some cases, lives lost.

When Swatting Kills

Swatting is not “harmless fun.” It gets people killed.

1. Andrew Finch (2017) – A father of two in Wichita, Kansas, was shot dead by police after an online dispute over a Call of Duty match escalated into a false report of a hostage situation at his home.
2. Mark Herring (2020) – A 60-year-old Tennessee man died of a heart attack when police swarmed his house following a swatting call made over a Twitter handle dispute.
3. Leonard Cure (2023) – Recently exonerated after years of wrongful imprisonment, Cure was swatted by a vindictive acquaintance, leading to a high-risk police encounter that could have cost him his life.

The Legal Blindspot: Why Swatters Walk Free

Swatting cases often fall into a murky legal area between state and federal jurisdiction. Some states classify swatting under false reporting laws, while others have specific statutes targeting it as a criminal act. At the federal level, penalties vary wildly, and prosecutors rarely push for the maximum punishment. The result? Swatters often serve minimal time or evade serious charges altogether.

Here’s how different states handle swatting:

• California: Enhanced penalties if injury or death occurs, but minimal sentencing for false reports.
• New York: Treats swatting as a form of terroristic threat with potential felony charges.
• Texas: Maximum 10-year sentence for false emergency reporting.
• Florida: Misdemeanor in most cases, unless linked to harm.
• Kansas: Passed “Andrew’s Law” after Andrew Finch’s death, increasing swatting penalties.

Despite these laws, enforcement is inconsistent, and many swatters operate across state lines, further complicating prosecution.

The Top 10 Facts About Swatting

1. The FBI estimates there are over 1,000 swatting incidents per year in the U.S.
2. 80% of swatting cases involve gamers, streamers, or social media influencers.
3. Police departments waste millions in resources responding to false reports.
4. At least five deaths have been directly linked to swatting.
5. 90% of swatters never receive jail time.
6. Many swatters operate internationally, using VPNs to avoid detection.
7. Swatting calls often mimic real emergency distress signals.
8. Some swatters livestream their crimes, enjoying the spectacle in real-time.
9. Victims are often left with lifelong PTSD and anxiety.
10. Swatting disproportionately affects marginalized communities, increasing police violence risks.

How Do We Stop It?

Stopping swatting is difficult because the act itself is simple. A single phone call, an anonymous internet tip, and within minutes, police are on their way. But there are solutions:

• Mandatory minimum sentences for swatting.
• Federal classification as an act of domestic terrorism.
• Improved police verification procedures before deployment.
• Holding accomplices accountable, including those who knowingly aid swatters.
• Investing in digital tracking and forensic analysis to identify perpetrators faster.
• When swatting leads to death, charge them with murder.

 

Swatting is not a victimless crime, and it is not a prank. It is a cruel, calculated act of terror that thrives in the gray areas of our legal system. People like Alan W. Filion do not deserve leniency. They do not deserve the benefit of the doubt. They deserve to face the full weight of the law, with sentencing that reflects the real harm they cause.

Imagine if instead of picking up the phone, Alan shot at people with a high powered rifle from a window. Even if he hit no one, he would almost certainly gotten a harsher sentence. I challenge that ruthlessly and without regard he fired many rounds at his victims, and it’s only through luck and the restraint of our law enforcement professionals that there were no deaths. Alan will probably be out before he’s 22, will probably have learned a few new tricks from his fellow inmates and will just be another criminal, devoid of empathy or compassion on the way to recidivism.

It is time we stop treating swatters like mischievous teens and start recognizing them for what they are: criminals who delight in inflicting suffering. Until we do, the next Andrew Finch, the next Mark Herring, and the next innocent victim will just be a phone call away.