WICHITA, KS — A California man pleaded guilty to causing a swatting incident that led to a man’s death in Kansas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas. Tyler Barriss, 25, of Los Angeles entered a plea agreement that would send him to prison for 20 years or more, federal officials said.
Two co-defendants in the case, identified as Casey Viner, 18, of North College Hill, Ohio and Shane Gaskill, 20, of Wichita, Kansas are awaiting trial. Federal officials allege Barriss got involved with Viner and Gaskill while playing the video game Call of Duty online. Officials say Viner asked Barriss to swat Gaskill. Officials further allege that Gaskill dared Barriss to carry out the swatting call and claimed to live at an address where he no longer resided.
Barriss pleaded guilty to making a false report resulting in a death, cyberstalking and conspiracy of a superseding indictment. According to federal officials in Kansas, Barriss also pleaded guilty to “dozens of similar crimes in which no one was injured.” Barriss was charged in federal courts in California and the District of Columbia in relation to the other incidents.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said Barriss admitted to making hoax calls that led to Wichita police surrounding a home in December 2017. According to federal officials, officers believed there was a man inside the home who had killed his own father and was holding family members hostage.
Officials said a man who came outside to face police was told to put his hands up when he stepped onto the home’s porch.
“When he unexpectedly dropped his hands, he was shot and killed,” officials said.
In the D.C. case, officials said Barriss pleaded guilty to making hoax bomb threats in calls to the FBI and FCC headquarters. In the California case, Barriss pleaded guilty to 46 counts, including making calls with false reports that bombs were planted at high schools, universities, shopping malls and TV stations, officials said.
Barriss is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30.
Photo by Irfan Khan /Los Angeles Times via Associated Press, Pool