Preston teenager charged in connection with recent swatting incidents

PRESTON, Maryland – A Preston teenager is facing felony charges for two separate swatting incidents, according to police.

The first incident occurred on May 6, when a caller allegedly told police in Ohio that he had shot his mother and brother and was going to shoot at first responders arriving at the scene. When police arrived, they determined it was a swatting call. A couple and five children were asked to leave the house while police cleared the scene.

The following day, a shooting spree at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania was reported, which was also classified as a hoax.

Police were able to trace the calls to a 17-year-old boy in Preston who was referred to the Youth Justice Department for two counts of serious injury/death and falsely reporting an emergency/crime.