Video Gamers Plead Not Guilty in Kansas 'Swatting' Death

Source: Time



Casey Viner, 18, of Ohio, one of the three men accused of orchestrating a swatting call that ended with a 28-year-old
man being killed by a Wichita, Kan., police officer last December, was in federal court in Wichita on Wednesday, June
13, 2018. Viner pleaded not guilty to several counts of wire fraud, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to
obstruct justice. (AP Photo/Bo Rader, The Wichita Eagle)/The Wichita Eagle via AP)

By ROXANA HEGEMAN / AP June 13, 2018

(WICHITA, Kan.) — Two online gamers whose dispute over a $1.50 Call of Duty WWII video game bet allegedly led police to fatally shoot a Kansas man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges in a “swatting” case that drew national attention.

Casey Viner, 18, of North College Hill, Ohio, and Shane Gaskill, 19, of Wichita, are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, wire fraud and other counts.

Viner allegedly became upset at Gaskill while playing the popular online game. Authorities say he then asked 25-year-old Tyler Barriss of Los Angeles to “swat” Gaskill at an address that Gaskill had previously provided him. Swatting is a form of retaliation sometimes used by gamers, who call police and make a false report to send first responders to an online opponent’s address.

Barriss is accused of calling Wichita police from Los Angeles on Dec. 28 to report a shooting and kidnapping at a Wichita address. Authorities say Barris researched the address Viner had given him for Gaskill and verified it was a home. When Gaskill noticed Barriss was following him on Twitter, he began communicating with Barriss through direct messages in which he also gave him that same old address and dared him to swat him.

Read more: http://time.com/5311776/video-gamers-plead-not-guilty-in-kansas-swatting-death/