A Florida teenager was charged in connection with multiple swatting incidents targeting a Germantown residence, Montgomery County Police reported Thursday.
Swatting is defined as the act of reporting a false crime at a specific address with the goal of involving armed law enforcement.
The first incident occurred on Nov. 22, 2025 when police responded to Severndale Terrace for the initial report of an active shooter outside the home, according to the County Police Threat Assessment and Behavioral Solutions Unit. When officers arrived, the homeowner told police she didn’t know about a shooting.
Officers did not recover evidence that there had been a shooting in the area.
Then on Jan. 23 of this year, the county’s Emergency Communications Center received another swatting call for the same address after a call came in reporting there was an active shooter with hostages inside the home, said police.
The family told officers they were also receiving “repeated, unwanted food deliveries.”
Police traced to the calls to a phone number and IP address in Orlando, Florida and identified a 17-year-old male suspect.
The teenager was charged April 28 with two counts of knowingly making false reports of crimes or emergencies to authorities with reckless disregard for causing bodily harm and two counts of making a false statement to a law enforcement officer.
The case was referred to the Department of Juvenile Services for disposition.
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