US gamer pleads guilty for role in fatal ‘swatting’ case

The ‘swatting’ call on Dec 28, 2017, led to the death of 28-year-old Andrew Finch, who was shot by Wichita police as he opened the door of his home to see why police were outside. — Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash

WICHITA, Kansas: A Kansas man has pleaded guilty to his role in a hoax call that led to a fatal shooting of an innocent bystander by Wichita police in 2017.

Shane Gaskell, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to wire fraud in case that drew national attention to “swatting”, during which a caller falsely reports a crime that is dangerous enough to send a SWAT team to the location, The Wichita Eagle reported.