Three swatting hoaxes prompt law enforcement responses in Cape Coral, Fort Myers

Three separate swatting calls in Cape Coral and Fort Myers over the past week prompted large law enforcement responses after callers falsely reported shootings and kidnappings, sending officers and deputies to neighborhoods expecting dangerous emergencies.

In one case Friday night, a 911 caller reported that someone had been shot outside a home on Southeast 11th Street in Cape Coral.

"I think on the road someone was shot at. I think he's bleeding in the left leg," the caller told a dispatcher in a recording obtained by Gulf Coast News.

The caller later claimed someone was trying to kidnap the injured person.

Cape Coral police responded to the address but found no evidence of a shooting. Officers determined the report was a swatting call — a false emergency report intended to trigger a large police response.

Resident Esaias Delfin said officers came to his home after receiving the report.

"Two police officers came in said, 'Hey, we got a call for this address, there was a shooting,' and they just wanted to get more information on it," Delfin said. "They were just confused because we didn't have any shooting."

Authorities say swatting calls can place both responding officers and innocent residents at risk because law enforcement arrives believing they are responding to an active, life-threatening emergency.

Jerry Connolly, chief of police at Florida SouthWestern State College, said swatting calls are often difficult to investigate because those responsible conceal their identities.

"Swatting calls are anonymous," Connolly said. "The bad actors adopt fake IP addresses, create fake phone numbers. A majority of them, from what I see through shared intelligence with other agencies, are overseas, and they're designed pretty much to cause chaos."

Two additional swatting calls were reported Tuesday in Fort Myers.

Fort Myers police confirmed officers responded to a home along Shadow Lane near McGregor Boulevard after a false emergency report. Homeowners told Gulf Coast News that officers arrived with guns drawn before determining there was no threat.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office also responded to a 911 hang-up call on Manderston Court after a caller reported someone was being threatened with a gun. Deputies found no one injured and determined the incident was another swatting call.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said deputies have responded to nine swatting incidents so far this year. No arrests have been made.

The sheriff's office sent Gulf Coast News on Wednesday this statement that says:

"Swatting and false emergency calls are serious crimes that put innocent lives at risk, create unnecessary fear, and take valuable resources away from those who truly need help. Every threat is treated as real until our deputies determine otherwise. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify those responsible and hold them accountable. If you receive a suspicious call, threat, or notice unusual activity, do not engage or attempt to investigate on your own. Move to a safe location, follow instructions from law enforcement, and report any information that may help investigators. Swatting incidents are often carried out by individuals who may not be located in the community where the response occurs; this is why these investigations can be complex."