LCO Police Report Child With a Gun Call Was a Swatting Incident

LCO Police

News Release

On the evening of April 19, 2023, Officer’s from the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department as well as Deputies from the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office. Responded to the area of Bacon Strip in the Town of Hayward for a report of a juvenile with a gun. The caller claiming to be the individual with the gun told dispatchers he would kill any cops in the area and claimed to have hostages. Through the course of the investigation, it has been determined to be a “SWATTING” incident involving a person from another State. There is no danger to the public at this time and the original individual involved has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Editor's Note: By definition, swatting is when someone makes a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address when no incident is occurring.