'Swatting' Incident Prompts Warning From Kendall County Sheriff

KENDALL COUNTY, IL — A 911 call reporting someone harming another person in Kendall County was determined to be a swatting attempt, officials said.

KenCom Public Safety Dispatch received a call just after midnight on April 9 reporting the incident, which Kendall County deputies determined to be a possible swatting incident, according to a news release.

Swatting is described as the action of prank-calling law enforcement to falsely report serious crimes such as bomb threats and murder in the hopes of eliciting a large police response. Most incidents target people in the online gaming community, including livestreams, officials said.

Deputies spoke on the phone with the residents of the house and resolved the situation "as safely as possible." The incident remains under investigation as detectives attempt to identify the origins of the call.

"Any threats toward our community can never be taken lightly," Sheriff Dwight Baird said in a statement. "These situations highlight the importance of good, quality training which helps prepare our deputies to safely and effectively respond to a situation which has the potential to be very hazardous to both our citizens and our first responders."

Swatting has been on the rise in the Chicagoland area in recent years, with at least three other attempts made so far in April. One instance involved a caller reporting a purported murder and hostage situation in Homer Glen, and a few days later in New Lenox, a hoax caller claimed to have shot his brother, Patch reported. Around the same time, a swatting incident involved a Western Springs high school campus.

To prevent being the victim of swatting, internet users can take precautions by using a firewall for network security, using strict privacy and security settings, and avoiding oversharing personal information, police said.

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