"Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert," barked Judy Brady's telephone about 6:30 a.m. March 10. The phone is connected to cameras on both the front and back doors of the northside Springfield home she shares with her husband, David. She could see a police officer examining the area around the back patio in the chill air, and asked him through the phone app what was going on. "Hello, is anyone in the house?" he asked. "Yes," Judy replied. He told her to open the front door for officers and send her husband to the back.
When David opened the back door, he met two officers with guns drawn. The officers ordered him out into the morning cold in his bare feet, put their guns away, patted him down for weapons in the oversized pockets of his thin robe, then followed him back indoors. The police told him they'd received a 911 call about a potential homicide.
Police were unable to trace the 911 call, but believe it came from out of state. Illinois Times obtained a recording of the call made that morning. On it, one can hear what seems to be a slightly distorted, metallic male voice. "Hello, I just did something really bad and I want to end my life.... I stabbed my girlfriend several times; she's not breathing anymore...My name is David Brady. I will hang up the phone and shoot myself." He then gave the Bradys' address and hung up.
And so the Bradys became the latest victims of "swatting," a prank pulled off by calling the police and reporting a shooting or a bomb threat, or some other emergency that will provoke a reaction from first responders, perhaps a SWAT team. Celebrities such as Russell Brand and Ashton Kutcher have been victimized by swatting. Computer gamers who livestream their contests have also been victimized. Someone watching the video feed will swat the gamer during play, and the swatter is rewarded by seeing armed policemen burst into the room and forcibly restrain the victim.
Two weeks later the Bradys, both in their 60s, still feel the aftereffects of the incident. "I'm still suffering a lot of anxiety," said Judy. "I don't know how long it will be before that goes away."
The Bradys aren't the first local victims of swatting. In September 2022 a man called 911 with a fake report of two gunmen at Springfield High. Wired reported that the incident was part of a wave of swatting calls directed towards schools in 16 states during a two-week period.
The FBI does not track swatting incidents as a separate category of crime, but the bureau is well aware of the problem. The Las Vegas field office of the FBI recently emphasized the seriousness of swatting. "These calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims," the advisory reads. "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." Public Affairs Officer Rebecca Crablit of the Springfield FBI office said in an email, "It's possible we may begin tracking them in the future."
Springfield police were unwilling to speak about the measures they take to prevent or combat swatting. "We are aware of the problem and are constantly adjusting and training, but obviously we don't want to give any clues to the bad guys," said Joshua Stuenkel, deputy chief of administrative services at the Springfield Police Department. SPD has a detective assigned to work directly with the FBI on issues such as swatting, where part of the crime might be committed out of state.
Under Illinois law, anyone who calls 911 with a false report knowing that the call could result in the emergency response of any public safety agency is guilty of a class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000, as well as reimbursement for the cost of responding to the call.
The FBI asks anyone receiving a swatting threat or information that an individual is planning to engage in swatting to immediately report it to local law enforcement and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI .
Don Howard is an intern at Illinois Times while completing his master's degree in Public Affairs Reporting at University of Illinois Springfield. He can be reached at dhoward@illinoistimes.com or 336-455-6966.
