PHOTOS: Swatting call draws large police presence to Renton house
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A report of a possible shooting that drew police to a Renton home Tuesday afternoon turned out to be a swatting call, also known as a false alarm, officials said.
Officers responded to the possible shooting around 1:30 p.m. at a house in the 15000 block of 140th Court Southeast – about four miles southeast of Maplewood Golf Course.
Video from Chopper 7 showed a large police response around the house.
Renton police later tweeted that the call was unfounded and everyone was OK. The Renton Fire Department confirmed that it was a swatting call.
The term "swatting" refers to intentionally reporting made-up, violent crimes at someone else's home to trigger a swarm of SWAT officers.
It can have deadly or criminal consequences.
The crime isn't new, but continues to be a persistent problem for law enforcement particularly involving gamers, tech workers and personalities.
