‘Web of Make Believe’: Where Is Tyler Barriss Now?
Netflix’s new six-part true-crime series highlights the dark side of the internet and tells true stories of “depraved internet practices” gone wrong, including “swatting” that led to the death of Andrew Finch. Where is known swatter Tyler Barriss now?
Where is the ‘Web of Make Believe’ subject Tyler Barriss now?
The first episode of Netflix’s anthology series show dives into the practice in the gamer community of “swatting,” which resulted in the collateral death of an unsuspecting man, Andrew Finch.
It’s eventually revealed that Halo player Tyler Barriss, who became known for successfully swatting other gamers, is the one who reported a fake hostage to the police at Finch’s address.
When the swat team arrived at the home, police officer Justin Rapp shot and killed the Kansas local. After discovering Barriss made the call, he was connected to at least 17 different swatting incidents over three years.
In 2019, he pleaded guilty to 51 charges relating to the hoax calls, including the one that resulted in Finch’s death, and received 20 years in federal prison. Currently 28, the convict is serving his time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Phoenix, Arizona, and isn’t eligible for release until January 2035. Barriss will then serve five years of supervised release.
Barriss was a known ‘swatter’ in the gaming community
As highlighted in Web of Make Believe, Barriss began making crank calls by calling in bomb threats to various locations resulting in evacuations. In 2015, he served a couple of years in prison after getting caught.
During this time, his grandmother and primary caretaker got a restraining order against him and sent him back to jail after he attempted to return.
Following the stint, he moved into a homeless shelter, where he got big in the gaming community. Inspired by getting swatted himself, an action in which gamers prank call emergency services to bring a large number of authorities to an address, Barriss made himself a go-to contact for the practice.
Using the name ‘SWAuTistic,’ he started advertising his swatting services as a way to make money. In December 2017, Ohio-based gamer Casey “Baperizer” Viner, then 18, and Wichita player Shane “Miruhcle” Gaskill got into an argument when friendly fire caused them to lose a match in Call of Duty: WWII. Therefore, Viner threatened to use Barriss to “swat” his friend.
Barriss ‘swatted’ the wrong person, which led to their death
Noticing that the Halo gamer followed him on Twitter, Gaskill began daring Barriss to make the call and gave him his old address, which Finch and his family occupied.
Barriss phoned the emergency service and pretended to be a teenager named Ryan who killed his father and held his mother and sister hostage.
When the authorities arrived, Finch walked out of his front door and was gunned down by officer Rapp who claimed he saw the man reach into his waistband. After getting traced back to Barriss, he was taken into custody and admitted to at least 17 different swatting incidents over the past three years during his 2019 trial.
Viner pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice and received 15 months in jail. Gaskill has had his trial and pleaded guilty to wire fraud. However, his sentencing will happen next month, in July 2022. Rapp was found justified in his shooting of Finch and not charged. Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies, & the Internet is streaming on Netflix.
