New Haven Swatting Case Could Be Connected to Minecraft

A reported shooting in Hamden on Tuesday turned out to be another case of swatting and the homeowner thinks it might be retribution from someone who did not get access to his son’s Minecraft-online gaming server.

Police Chief Thomas Wydra said they received a report that someone had been shot on Thomas Street and the shooter might be turning the gun on him or herself.

Police responded and forced their way into the home.

A teenage boy, his brother and another boy were in the house at the time, said Scott Butler, the homeowner. Police said the children were 9, 10 and 14 years old.

Authorities couldn't locate a shooter and quickly realized that there had been no violence.

Butler, the father of the teen and one of the boys, said he learned about what had happened when he received a call from Hamden police on his cellphone.

They did not provide much information, Butler said, and he could not reach his teenage son by phone, so he raced home.

Butler said the family has received threats before, including the threat of a pizza delivery, and the someone had the family's Internet service for a day.  However, he never thought things would get to this level.

Police said the emergency call was a hoax. Authorities are investigating and detectives from the computer crimes unit will be working to determine who is responsible for the calls. 

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