The Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Troopers responded to a fraudulent 911 call that turned out to be the product of “swatting,” which targeted a child playing Roblox.

On Oct. 26, at approximately 9:22 p.m., a call was made to the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office from a male claiming he had stabbed two females inside his home, barricaded himself in with firearms and pipe bombs and would kill law enforcement on arrival.

When Faulkner County Sheriff’s deputies and Arkansas State Troopers arrived on the scene, they were met with a car leaving the residence, where they eventually figured out that the residence had been victim to “swatting.”

“Swatting” is a term used to describe fraudulent 911 calls made that describe a serious threat or activity that is taking place when the call is made. The purpose of these calls is to make it seem as if a person or business is committing a crime to trigger law enforcement into acting, when in reality there is no crime being committed.

“‘Swatting’ involves fraudulent calls to the 911 system reporting serious threats or violent situations,” the sheriff’s office said Friday. “These calls are made in an attempt to trigger law enforcement into raiding a residence or business of someone who has not actually committed a crime. There have been several documented cases of ‘swatting’ around the country, many of which have resulted in serious charges and tragic outcomes.”

There have been many instances of swatting in recent years, especially in the online community, where it’s made more public when Twitch streamers and YouTubers are targeted.

Someone from outside of Arkansas obtained the victim’s information through the online chat platform Discord and the online game Roblox, which they used to make a false report of a crime happening.

Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sherry Skaggs warned parents about some of the dangers associated with online chat rooms.

“Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office strongly cautions citizens of the dangers involved in online gaming and chat apps,” Skaggs said. “We encourage all citizens to speak with their children about these dangers. Discuss the risks of providing personal information, including, but not limited to, addresses.

“It is critical that youth are aware of the extreme dangers involved in sharing addresses and other personal information to people they have not actually met,” she said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies are still looking at this case since the call came from out of the state.