TYLER, Texas — Tyler police officers arrested a boy for allegedly making numerous bomb threats and swatting hoaxes across multiple states and locations, including Brookshire’s grocery stores in Tyler.
In a news release, police said a joint investigation between the Tyler Police Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Collin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI identified a juvenile suspect as the person responsible for multiple bomb threats and “swatting” hoaxes throughout the city of Tyler.
The boy was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with six criminal offenses at this time. He was booked into the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center.
Previous information from the Collin County Sheriff's Office, their deputies along with officers with Tyler Police Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI executed a search warrant in Smith County that identified a juvenile suspect, who has been linked to threats at Brookshire’s grocery stores, schools in the Tyler area, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, and Mission ISD.
City of Tyler spokesperson Adriana Rodriguez confirmed this child is the one believed to have made threats against two Tyler Brookshire's.
Threats were made in late June at the Brookshire's locations on Rice Rd. and 5th St. Spokesperson Andy Erbaugh said nothing was found ultimately during the search.
Investigators learned the suspect's activities spanned across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Currently, investigators have identified 100 locations targeted by these hoaxes, the Collin County Sheriff's Office said.