Australian juvenile charged over swatting calls targeting U.S. schools
An Australian juvenile has been charged in connection with multiple hoax “swatting” calls that falsely reported mass shootings at major education and retail institutions in the United States, according to a joint statement from Australian and U.S. authorities.
The charges were announced on Monday following an investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), working with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the AFP, the investigation began after intelligence was received from the FBI regarding an Australian-based member of an online network suspected of involvement in swatting incidents in the United States.
Swatting involves making hoax emergency calls intended to trigger urgent and often armed law enforcement responses.
Police allege the boy made multiple false reports to U.S. emergency services claiming active mass shootings were underway at major retail and educational institutions. Authorities did not identify specific locations or institutions targeted in the alleged calls.
A search warrant was executed at a residence in New South Wales on December 18, 2025, where investigators seized electronic devices and a prohibited firearm, police said.
The juvenile was charged with 12 counts of using a telecommunications network to convey false information about danger, offenses that carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment each under Australian law. He was also charged with one count of unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.
The juvenile is scheduled to make his first appearance in a children’s court in Australia on Tuesday, authorities said.
“In this investigation, a young boy from regional NSW allegedly caused widespread alarm and turmoil to thousands of people, businesses and services in the United States, resulting in significant financial implications,” AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Graeme Marshall said
In 2025, dozens of universities across the United States were targeted by a wave of hoax active-shooter calls, many falsely claiming gunmen were inside campus libraries.
The incidents led to mass evacuations and major law enforcement responses, including SWAT deployments, at schools in multiple states, including New Hampshire, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Colorado, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Georgia.
It was not immediately clear whether the juvenile charged in Australia was connected to that wave of calls.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
