🔗 Share this article Privacy Online is an Falsehood’: Australian Youth Indicted Over Supposed Active Shooter Hoax in United States A teenager from the state of NSW has been formally accused following accusations he placing numerous false reports to emergency services – an act known as “SWATting” – wrongly stating active shooter situations were occurring at major retail and universities across the US. International Investigation Leads to Legal Action Australian authorities charged the young male on 18 December. Officials state he belongs to a suspected decentralised online network of offenders operating from behind computer screens in order to trigger an “urgent and major emergency response”. “Commonly teenage boys aged from 11 to 25, are involved in activities such as swatting, releasing private info and cyber attacks to gain status, infamy and acknowledgement in their digital communities.” During the investigation, police took possession of a number of digital devices and a banned gun discovered in the young person’s possession. This action was executed by a specialized task force established in October 2025. Law Enforcement Provide a Clear Message Graeme Marshall, issuing a warning, warned that individuals operating under the illusion they can commit crimes with an internet connection and anonymous accounts are being targeted. Federal authorities said it began its probe after getting intelligence from American law enforcement. An FBI assistant director, from the FBI's international wing, said that the “hazardous and disturbing crime” of fake emergency calls endangered lives and consumed vital first responder resources. “This investigation shows that anonymity online is an false notion,” he stated in a combined announcement with the AFP. He further stated, “Our commitment is to working with the AFP, our international partners, and private sector partners to find and hold accountable those who exploit the internet to create danger to communities.” Judicial Next Steps The youth faces multiple counts of communications-related crimes and one count of unauthorised possession of a banned gun. He could face up to fourteen years in a correctional facility. “The police's duty (is|remains) to stopping the distress and suffering members of this online crime network are inflicting on the community, under the mistaken belief they are hidden,” the assistant commissioner said. The teenager was due to face a NSW juvenile court on Tuesday.