Man Charged in 20-plus Calls of False Threats in US, Canada

Man Charged in 20-plus Calls of False Threats in US, Canada
Pittsburgh Police and paramedics respond to Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School for what turned out to be a hoax report of an active shooter in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh on March 29, 2023. Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

SEATTLE—U.S. authorities said they arrested a Washington state man who made more than 20 “swatting” calls around the country and in Canada, prompting real emergency responses to his fake reports of bombs, shootings, or other threats.

Ashton Connor Garcia, 20, of Bremerton, used voice-over-internet technology to conceal his identity as he placed the calls last year—and he treated them as entertainment, broadcasting them on the social media platform Discord, federal prosecutors said.