In the aftermath of the tragic death of a 28-year old Kansas man following a "swatting," where SWAT teams were called to his home based on a bogus murder and hostage situation, the state senate has passed a bill which is designed to clamp down on the practice. The new law would see those who take part in swatting sentenced to between 10 and 41 years in prison.
The case of Andrew Finch, is a sad one. Although not a gamer himself, his address was given to SWAT teams, allegedly by 25-year old Tyler Barriss from LA, who believed he was targeting a game streamer he didn't like. Although the practice has become unfortunately common, they don't always result in tragedy. In this instance however, Finch was fired upon by SWAT when he opened his door and was killed instantly.
Because Barriss had been charged with making threats and similar activities before, Kansas' Senate has now passed a bill that would make sentences far harsher for taking part in such activities.
The Andrew T. Finch anti-swatting bill, if approved by the governor, would mean that anyone who makes a swatting call that results in injury or death, would receive a long jail sentence, as per Destructoid. It's hoped that the potential to go away for effectively the rest of a person's life, will be enough to deter them from taking part in the practice.
"I'm very happy that it's named after my son," said Andrew's mother, Lisa Finch, at the news. "If it prevents even one tragedy like this happening to another family, that will be amazing."
Image source: U.S. Army/Flickr
