KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A North Knox County family said deputies responded to their home, guns drawn, after a hoax phone call.
Tatyana Smith said someone sent a message to the suicide hotline and said a 17-year-old killed a 7-year-old and planned to kill himself at their address. Smith said no 17-year-olds live at her home.
Doorbell camera video from Smith's home shows several deputies approaching the home with their guns drawn. They asked Smith, her husband and their three-year-old baby to wait at the side of the home while they searched it. Smith said her two teenage daughters were inside.
"I opened the door and I just screamed as soon as I saw the rifles," Smith said. "I've never had guns pointed at me. I mean, they were everywhere."
Smith said once they finished searching the home, deputies told her it was a hoax.
"We did a welfare check and it was determined to be a false call," said Lt. Heather Reyda, the Knox County Sheriff's Office's public information officer.
The Smiths think they're victims of "swatting." The FBI defines it as "false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency." The agency said it's a growing problem nationwide.
"I really just learned today what it is and how dangerous it is," Smith said.
Smith said the incident left her family traumatized, especially her three-year-old.
"She just latched onto us the whole entire night. We couldn't put her down," Smith said. "I know it's going to affect her later on in life, for sure."
A statement from the FBI on swatting is below.
In response to the national call on swatting, the FBI initiated the Virtual Command Center (VCC) known as the National Common Operation Picture (NCOP). The NCOP-VCC is a collaborative effort between the FBI and law enforcement partners to track and create a real-time picture of swatting incidents. Established in May 2023, this initiative is open to any law enforcement agencies and fusion centers who wish to participate in tracking and sharing swatting information in respective jurisdictions.