Child reportedly shot in Frankfort ends in “swatting” incident

A prank call by kids sent multiple Ross County agencies into a dramatic response Monday evening resulting in a pop culture phenomenon.

According to deputies, at around 9 p.m. the Sheriff’s office received a 9-1-1 call by “a juvenile” reporting that another child had been shot.

Several deputies and multiple EMS units responded to the area of 840 Greenlee Road. MedFlight was dispatched to the scene and a landing zone was being setup by firefighters as a precaution.

Dispatchers said after the initial call, the young caller hung up the phone and they were unable to reach them when dispatchers called back, however, the phone was “pinged” and traced back to the area of 840 Greenlee Road.

With the ambulance waiting in the area for safety reasons, deputies arrived on scene and made contact with an adult near the address. The deputy on scene was able to confirm by talking with those at the scene that the call was “a prank call.”

Prank calls like the one on Greenlee Road are called “swatting” and is a prank that is gaining traction across the country. It’s where people call police and authorities and report an active scene that is not actually occurring, which sends multiple police and EMS to the scene. Typically, people are charged when it is uncovered who made the call.