Fake swatting call on 10-year-old being shot in Cape Coral

Police swarmed a street in Cape Coral after hearing that a male subject shot his 10-year-old brother. Thankfully, it turned out to be a swatting call.

WINK News spoke with retired FBI Agent Robert Foley. He pointed out that officers responding to fake threats like this takes away resources from real, actual emergencies that are taking place.

WINK News’ newsroom listened on the police scanners this afternoon as dispatchers re-routed officers from other calls to the swatting scene.

“Advising that a male subject is stating he shot his 10-year-old brother,” said the 911 dispatcher. “Possibly still has a loaded weapon on him. We are still receiving. Standby for scene secure.”

Cape Coral police rushed to the neighborhood along Northeast 18th Avenue expecting to find a child with a gunshot wound, but it didn’t take long for police to determine that the call was fake and likely the sick prank of a swatter.

“Law enforcement doesn’t know what’s on the other side of that door. Certainly, when you have people in their homes and their door crashes in, they don’t know who’s on the other side of their door. So that immediately creates a very dangerous environment. And firearms will almost always be involved,” said Foley.

Neighbors told WINK News they’re thankful no one got hurt, but they’re deeply troubled by how someone could make up a story about a child being shot.

Foley said detectives will try to determine if the people at the home know anyone who’d want to do this to them and law enforcement has the tools to find who did this.

“The investigation there will consist of subpoenas, mainly through a broadband company that would provide a voip service. Those subpoenas almost always lead back to email accounts, and through subpoenaing the email account, then you may be able to learn who’s behind the swatting call,” said Foley.

It’s not clear if the people at the home have any children, but Foley said if they do, that’s the first place he’d start. He said if the family there has kids, looking at their social media and who they’re talking to might help investigators find out who targeted the people at the home.

Cape Coral Police are said the call did not come from the home or anyone there.