VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Over the past year, a Virginia Beach family said their home has been swatted three times. They don't know why and they are frustrated.
According to the FBI, swatting, “involves calling 911 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement — usually a SWAT team.”
They said callers often tell tales of hostages about to be executed or bombs about to go off.
Watch related: What can be done to prevent swatting at Virginia schools?
The FBI says the community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies and the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves.
Virginia Beach Police got one of these calls back on Dec. 4, 2023. The called told police that the mother at this home was injured and the father was armed with a rifle.
Byron Farlow said he was home with his two children who are young adults and he was making dinner that night.
Tristin Farlow, his daughter, said she got a call from authorities telling her to come out of the house.
“She opens the door up to a hornet’s nest. They had lights set up, had the street block off,” said Bryon Farlow.
Watch related: Recent swatting incident leaves Gloucester County sheriff frustrated
Tristin Farlow said she was told to come out with her hands up. She said there was a police dog and officers with their guns drawn, standing behind cars.
She said there were six or seven police cars surrounding her home.
The WTKR Investigative Team uncovered a search warrant that outlines what occurred and we learned this is not the first time this has happened at their home.
The family said it happened a total of three times: last October, December and then again in August.
They said the first time police arrived very calm and informed the family they were victims of swatting. The Farlows said back in October police arrived, spoke to the family and searched the home without any problems.
The Farlows said second time the swatting happened in December was completely different. They said there was a full-blown intense response from police.
Watch: The cost of swatting threats to schools, law enforcement
“I was shaking very hard, and I had my hands up the entire time and they said, 'You can relax and put your arms down,'" Tristin Farlow said. "I couldn’t, I was frozen. I didn’t want them to think that I was reaching for anything in my pocket.”
Bryon Farlow admits he was yelling and frustrated by the intense response in December. He said he was trying to explain this was a swatting incident.
He was terrified for his daughter. He was worried because she had her phone in her hand and he didn’t want authorities to think it was a weapon.
“I’ve seen people on TV get shot for less,” said Bryon Farlow.
Then another swatting incident at their home in August. The Farlow’s said the response was not as intense as the second time but there were a bunch of police officers.
“They asked about the kids gaming online and the kids do some gaming. They say a lot of it can come from that,” said Bryon Farlow.
The family said they have no idea who would do this to them.
Watch: Exclusive look inside FBI SWAT team office in Norfolk
The FBI reports many times threats can come from the online gaming community. They said most people who engage in swatting are serial offenders, who can also be involved in other cyber crimes such as identity theft and credit card fraud.
Tristin Farlow said she has PTSD for these experiences and wants it to stop.
“I was having another panic attack just reliving everything all over again. Absolutely terrible,” she said.
Virginia Beach Police are investigating this situation and said no one has been arrested.
They issued the following statement:
“Swatting is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible act. It not only takes valuable resources away from real emergencies but also puts both the public and responding officers in harm’s way. Misuse of emergency services like this is a serious crime, and individuals involved can face significant legal consequences. We urge the public to understand the gravity of these situations and to avoid any actions that could lead to such reckless behavior.”
In rare occasions, people have been killed during these incidents across the country.
