South Fulton family victims of 'swatting' call 'traumatized' by ordeal

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - Imagine police surrounding your house and ordering you and your kids to come out with your hands up, but you've done nothing wrong. "Swatting" is when someone makes a fake 9-1-1 call to get officers and SWAT to a specific location. The fake calls are dangerous and weigh on department resources. They're also potentially traumatizing to the unsuspecting victim.

Thursday night, South Fulton police rushed to a home in the Regency Hills subdivision off Boat Rock Road after receiving such a call. Thankfully no one was hurt. But the homeowner, who FOX 5 is identifying as "Danny," says he's been traumatized by the ordeal.

"It's not a game when you have people show up at your house with that kind of force," Danny said.

Danny says he's still trying to understand what actually happened Thursday. The father of two was on his way home when he got a call from a panicked neighbor. Dozens of police officers and the SWAT team had lined up and down the street outside his home.

"It was the longest 15-minute drive I've ever had in my life."

Danny had no idea a 9-1-1 call came in, sending police and SWAT to his home.

"The call was sort of crazy, the caller stated someone shot his girlfriend, himself and something about shooting cops as well," Capt. Marcus Dennard with South Fulton Police said.

At the time, Danny's wife and kids were home. He says even now they have yet to talk about what happened.

"My wife, she was shaken up. My kids were as well," he said.

Officers quickly realized it was a swatting call. Someone apparently thought it was funny, but neither police nor the homeowner are laughing.

South Fulton police say they take calls like this seriously. They have detectives working around the clock to find those responsible.