2017 Wichita swatting

Lore & Background

The events began with an online argument between Casey Viner (pseudonym Baperizer) and Shane Gaskill (pseudonym Miruhcle) over a $1.50 wager in a Call of Duty: WWII match on UMG Gaming. Viner threatened to swat Gaskill, who gave him a false address in Wichita where he had previously lived. Viner then contacted Tyler Barriss (known online as SWAuTistic), a homeless 25-year-old with a criminal record including bomb threats. Barriss called the Wichita Police Department from a Los Angeles library using voice over IP, claiming he had shot his father and was holding family at gunpoint, and that he had poured gasoline inside the house.

Reader's Guide

The 2017 Wichita swatting is significant as a landmark case of swatting resulting in a fatality. It demonstrated how online disputes can escalate into real-world violence, with an innocent person killed. The incident prompted public concern over police response to hoax calls and the lack of accountability for the officer involved. Legal proceedings resulted in federal prison sentences for Barriss (20 years), Viner (15 months), and Gaskill (18 months). Officer Justin Rapp was not charged and later promoted to detective in 2022, drawing criticism. The case also led to discussions about police training and the need for better verification of emergency calls.

Did You Know?

• Andrew Finch was not a gamer and had no involvement in the Call of Duty dispute.
• Tyler Barriss had previously served 16 months for making false bomb threats to KABC-TV and other locations.
• The 911 call was transferred from Wichita City Hall, leading dispatchers to believe it was local.
• Finch's 18-year-old niece, Adelina Finch, died by suicide on January 11, 2019, which her mother blamed on the shooting.