Swatting prank sends police to Chester Co. home
Victim: They were able to figure out the call was through Scotland on a Skype account
UPPER UWCHLAN TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A Chester County family was targeted in a cruel prank that prompted a large police response.
Someone called 911 and claimed there was a killing at a home in the 700 block of North Reed Road in Upper Uwchlan, but it was all a lie, part of a prank known as swatting.
Meredith Dunbar says it was the worst morning of her life.
"My children woke up to State Police with guns at their heads," Dunbar said.
Dunbar says it all started very early Monday morning when she was outside feeding her horses.
That's when a heavily armed SWAT team surrounded her house after receiving reports that an armed man was inside.
Dunbar says she was in complete disbelief as the SWAT team leader explained why they were there.
"I wasn't sure if anyone was alive or dead. I was told that somebody had called and said that they had killed their entire family and they were overdosing themselves on heroin," Dunbar said.
But it turned out the whole thing was a prank.
Now, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan is very anxious to bring the person responsible to justice because he says these pranksters do not seem to realize they are playing with fire.
"If somebody sees a SWAT team, a bunch of guys with automatic weapons, about to make entry into a house and grabs a gun, they're going to get shot, they're going to be killed, and it's going to be the fault of these idiots who are making these swat calls," Hogan said.
Meredith Dunbar says she has no idea who was behind this incident but she believes she knows how they picked her home.
"I think it's somebody from Xbox Live and Skype. They were able to figure out the call was through Scotland on a Skype account," Dunbar said.
Either way, DA Hogan says finding the guilty party is a high priority.
"These swatting calls are a disaster waiting to happen," Hogan said.
