ROOTSTOWN, Ohio — Making a fake call to have armed officers respond to a scene where nothing's wrong, also known as "swatting," can cause panic and have serious consequences.
An individual connected to alleged "swatting" incidents has been identified in Northeast Ohio after a multi-jurisdictional investigation. The Ravenna Police Department confirmed to 3News' Emma Henderson that the individual is a minor.
Detectives from the Ravenna Police Department, Hudson Police Department and Portage County Sheriff's Office all assisted in the investigation and responded to a location in the 5200 block of Rootstown Road in Rootstown Township.
"We went to the residence today (Friday) and as such were able to seize computer equipment that upon forensic examination we believe will lead us to additional agencies that have been impacted by these swatting incidents," said Det. Sgt. Dustin Svab of the Ravenna Police Department.
Svab added that because everything we do on the internet leaves a digital footprint, investigators were able to eventually trace the information back at the source, even when attempts were made to hide their location.
Ravenna police officials stated that the investigation happened after threats were made to numerous schools in Ohio. It is believed that the Ohio incidents are tied to similar cases in Pennsylvania and Texas.
In Northeast Ohio, "swatting" calls were received in the Ravenna School District, Rootstown School District and Hudson School District.
"Although he successfully impacted a lot of different agencies, I think we were able to put an end to it and circumvent any that could potentially be impacted in the future," Svab added.
Ravenna Police officials confirmed that all of the threats investigated individually were unsubstantiated and that no students were in danger at the time of the threats.
At this time, no other information is being released.
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