Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Investigators working to track down the source of a swatting call at Baker School last November are charging two fourteen year olds, believed to be part of a national swatting group that pays members with cryptocurrency to commit the crimes.
The group calls itself “LulzSEC”. Member Camwryn Gulley of Mansfield Texas told investigators former Baker School student Landyn Whittington asked for a member of the group to swat Baker School. Whittington was an on- line student at the time of the incident.
The swatting call, which came into the Crestview Police Department at 8:46 a.m., said there was an armed individual preparing to start a mass shooting at Baker School. Crestview High and other area schools were also locked down as a precaution.
“The hoax call led to a massive, immediate and intense response by law enforcement and other emergency responders, sending fear through the entire community and taking them away from potential legitimate emergencies. “ said Sheriff Eric Aden. “This crime is no prank. It has real and dangerous consequences.”
OCSO investigators traced the call to an address in Mansfield Texas. The Mansfield Police Department conducted an interview there with Gulley, leading to a search warrant for his cell phone. Information from his phone led back to Whittington and the “LulzSEC”. Gulley says he knows Whittington from that group and through online gaming.
The group is believed responsible for swatting incidents across the U.S. and in Canada.
Gulley is expected to be extradited from Texas to Okaloosa County where he faces charges of making an electronic threat of a mass shooting, making a false report of firearms being used in a violent manner, use of a two communication device to facilitate a felony, as well as interference with school functions.
Whittington meanwhile has been tied to multiple swatting calls across the country, including in Ewing New Jersey, Buckeye Arizona, Clayton Indiana, and Houston Texas. He faces multiple felonies in connection with those cases. Others are also under investigation.
“In our School District, the safety of our students and staff is the number one priority. I could not be more proud of our students, teachers, staff, principals, and parents for how they reacted to the events that unfolded at Baker and Crestview Schools. I want to express my gratitude for the patience and understanding of the parents and all the first responders who reacted swiftly and worked diligently to bring this individual to justice. We will not tolerate any behavior, hoax or otherwise, that has the potential to threaten the safety of our schools,” said Okaloosa School Superintendent Marcus Chambers.
He and Sheriff Aden urge parents to speak with their students about the serious consequences of making such statements and remind them to report any suspicious activity to their school resource officer or administrators.
Navarre Newspaper reminds our readers that Camwryn Gulley and Landyn Whittington are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
You can also contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1.800.863.TIPS, emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com, or through the P3 Tips mobile app.
