Man accused of deadly ‘swatting’ prank in Kansas previously made false bomb threats in LA

An ABC affiliate in Los Angeles revealed new details about the suspect behind a hoax that turned deadly for an innocent man in Kansas.

According to KABC, Tyler Raj Barriss was convicted in 2015 on charges that he made false bomb threats to the station.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Witchita police officers responded to the home of 28-year-old Andrew Finch this week after receiving a report of a hostage situation. It is believed he was the victim of “swatting,” which is a dangerous prank in which someone reports another person to authorities on a false charge of an active crime to swarm the victim’s home with law enforcement.

When officers arrived, Finch reportedly came to the door and was fatally shot by police.

“A male came to the front door,” confirmed Deputy Witchita Police Chief Troy Livingston. “As he came to the front door, one of our officers discharged his weapon.”

The victim’s family said he was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

Just over two years ago, Barriss, the man accused of perpetrating the deadly hoax this week, was convicted on three felony counts and one misdemeanor for reporting two separate bomb threats to the Glendale, California, office of WABC.

The false reports led to evacuations of the campus and extensive investigation by local authorities.

Early reports indicated the altercation that ended with this week’s swatting incident originated in an argument over an online video game. Finch’s mother, however, said her son was not a gamer.

Barriss allegedly called 911 in Wichita, posing as Finch, and told dispatcher that he had murdered his father and soaked the home in gasoline while holding his mother hostage.

The officer who shot Finch was placed on leave pending the completion of an investigation.

[Tyler Barriss/Glendale Police Department via AP]