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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 2015)
5A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 FBI investigates nationwide school-threat ‘game’ Suspect in Arizona school- shooting pranks could be linked local school lockdown By NATALIE ST. JOHN EO Media Group LONG BEACH, Wash. — A New York video game en- thusiast who is suspected of phoning in shooting threats to at least four schools in Flag- staff, Ariz., could be linked to a rash of similar phone threats that frightened students and staff on the Long Beach Pen- insula and elsewhere earlier in the year. According to court docu- ments, Viktor Lisnyak, 29, has EHHQFKDUJHGZLWK¿YHFRXQWV of making threats in interstate commerce. FBI agents arrest- ed Lisnyak in July, after trac- ing email accounts associated with the Flagstaff threats to the home where he lived with his parents in Staten Island, N.Y. According to a Facebook page and other online records that appear to belong to him, Lisnyak is a 29-year-old immi- grant from the former Soviet country of Belarus, who has worked as a department store salesman and as a Russian interpreter for AT&T. During a July interview at his home, he allegedly admitted to FBI agents that he had made threat- ening phone calls to “schools in the United States, including calls made to Flagstaff,” and that “he made so many threat- ening calls that he doesn’t UHPHPEHU DOO RI WKH VSHFL¿F calls.” Lisnyak also told the in- vestigators that the calls were motivated by the online video games he played with others, via his X-Box video game sys- WHP ,Q DQ DI¿GDYLW RQH VSH- cial agent wrote, “He would gain ‘points’ for making these calls, and at times had to make the calls if he ‘lost’ a game.” EO Media Group/File Photo Long Beach, Wash., first-graders took shelter in the Chinook Observer’s conference room at the outset of a scary hoax mass-shooting threat made against their school last in April. NAZToday.com/Submitted Photo Viktor Lisnyak A break in the case $W¿UVWORFDOSROLFHLQYHV- tigated each of the threats in isolation, and had few clues to work with. Employees at many of the schools had tried Similar calls in many to trace the incoming calls, schools but no one succeeded until Between March and May, April 20, when employees at numerous schools in Alaska, a Flagstaff preschool some- Washington, Oregon and Brit- how managed to capture the ish Columbia received phone originating number. Three EO Media Group/File Photo threats of “imminent” school Flagstaff Police Department shootings that were very sim- detectives subsequently A Pacific County, Wash., sheriff’s deputy armed with an assault rifle stands posted outside of Long Beach School in April. ilar to the threats made in Ar- learned that the number was izona. But so far, Lisnyak has associated with an email ac- ers with a knife in his hand, not been linked to any threats count that allowed the ac- caused a responding police outside of Flagstaff. count-holder to make phone RI¿FHU WR EH LQMXUHG LQ D FDU Saturday, Ayn Dietrich, a FDOOV YLD WKH ,QWHUQHW DQG ¿- accident, and have even so Law enforcement of- camera set up to broadcast ment for losing games, or in frightened some victims that spokeswoman for the Seat- nally, police had something they had heart attacks. ¿FLDOV VD\ WKDW 9LNWRU live game-play, an audience order to gain “points.” WOH )%, RI¿FH VDLG DJHQWV DUH to work with. In 2009, a then 19-year- Lisnyak’s alleged hoax- of hundreds might be able to trying to determine wheth- Another lucky break came The FBI says that in ad- calls to Arizona schools watch the raid in real-time. er there’s any possible con- when police learned that dition to being cruel, swat- old Washington man named were an example of “swat- nection between the events. Lisnyak had made a serious Sometimes, the swatters ting hoaxes are “dangerous Matthew Weigman was sen- ting”, a disturbing type of are seeking revenge. Other WR ¿UVW UHVSRQGHUV DQG WR WKH tenced to more than 11 years “The FBI’s Seattle and oversight while attempting to SUDQN WKDW KDV ÀRXULVKHG times, they’re merely after victims,” because they dis- in federal prison for a swat- Portland divisions are work- hide his identity. Lisnyak knew in the age of online vid- bragging rights. According tract emergency responders ting conspiracy that had gone ing with the FBI’s Phoenix enough to assume aliases when eo-gaming. Division to review incidents he set up at least 11 new email to a 2014 primer on swatting from dealing with real emer- on for years. According to the In its simplest form, from the Association of State gencies, and create the risk FBI, Weigman and a group of in our states, with consider- addresses (and associated swatting “involves calling Uniform Crime Reporting that a distressed victim will co-conspirators harassed and ation of similar ones in Ari- phone accounts) that included 911 and faking an emer- Programs, players are some- “defend” himself or herself impersonated telecommuni- zona, for which Lisnyak was the phrase “public enemy.” cations employees and carried gency that draws a re- times assigned “points” for against the perceived threat. recently charged,” Dietrich However, he apparently did sponse from law enforce- perpetrating these pranks, said. not realize that every computer In several cases, these out dozens of swatting pranks. ment — usually a SWAT with the point-value of a cer- pranks have caused serious +LV ¿UVW VZDWWLQJ SUDQN KDS- The court documents show has a unique — and traceable team,” to an unsuspecting tain incident depending on and unexpected consequenc- pened in 2004, when he retal- that eight calls made to Flag- — identifying number called victim’s door, according to “the level of police presence, es. Swatting incidents have iated against a girl who had staff schools between April 15 an “IP Address” that is em- a 2008 article published by the type of entry and wheth- delayed sporting events, refused to have phone sex by and May 7 shared many of the bedded in virtually all Internet the Federal Bureau of In- er helicopters are called in.” caused the evacuation of a ho- faking a hostage situation at same characteristics as calls communications. Because he vestigations. to schools in the Northwest, set up all of the emails using )HGHUDODI¿GDYLWVVD\/LVQ\DN tel, led an unsuspecting father her Colorado home, prompt- “Swatters” tend to be swatted schools as punish- to greet a team of respond- ing a SWAT response. including the April 16 threats technology that was registered young and technologi- that triggered a roughly two- to his mother, the Flagstaff de- cally savvy, and may use hour-long lockdown and ma- tectives and their FBI partners jor police response on Ocean were able to trace the phone computer hacking skills to Beach (Wash.) School District threats to the Lisnyak family make it appear as if a call campuses. reporting a bomb scare, residence. All of the calls featured a hostage situation or school “robotic” sounding voice, usu- In jail, but not for long shooting originated inside After securing warrants, ally male, that called from an the victim’s home. anonymous, untraceable num- two of the Flagstaff inves- Some crime of this type ber. Most of the calls came in WLJDWRUV ÀHZ WR 1HZ <RUN has existed for decades between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., where, on July 15, they met — in the 1970s, “phone Classified/Inside Sales and the caller tended to target up with an FBI special agent, phreakers” broke into The Daily Astorian is looking for an individual with excellent numerous campuses within the and went to visit Lisnyak at phone companies’ com- customer service skills, both in person and over the phone. same district or small commu- home. During that interview, puter systems, and made Someone who brings an upbeat and “go get ‘em” attitude to nity. The exact language of the Lisnyak allegedly admitted free long-distance calls. the table, works well with a team as well as alone. threats varied, but the themes to the Arizona crimes, lead- But swatting proliferated This position requires great computer skills, accurate were consistent: The caller ing the FBI special agent after new technology made spelling, the ability to receive incoming classified advertising stated that he or she was in or to seek an arrest warrant. it possible for “gamers” to calls as well as calling advertisers back for ad renewals. near the school, was feeling Lisnyak was arrested on connect with their peers all Manage special monthly projects requiring cold calls. suicidal, and was planning an Friday July 17, but he spent over the globe. Must be persistent and be able to handle rejection with ease. act of violence. In Arizona, only a few days in jail. The Connected video game This is a full time position, working Monday through Friday. each of the calls used phrases following Monday, his par- systems such as X-Box Evenings and weekends off, plus paid holidays! like, “I want to kill hundreds of ents co-signed on a $150,000 — the system favored by children,” or “I’m going to kill bond. Lisnyak was released Lisnyak — allows gamers REWARDING CAREER your children.” after surrendering his pass- to access thousands of fel- Competitive wage plus commissions. No active threat was ever port and promising to report ORZ SOD\HUV¶ XVHUSUR¿OHV Benefits include paid time off (PTO), insurances and a discovered on any of the cam- WR$UL]RQD IRU KLV ¿UVW FRXUW Tech-savvy pranksters can 401(k)/Roth 401(k) retirement plan. puses. hearing later that month. sometimes mine those pro- Send resume and letter of interest to Attorneys are waiting on If he is convicted at tri- ¿OHV IRU KRPH DGGUHVVHV EO Media Group, PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048, a forensic investigation of DO HDFK RI WKH ¿YH IHGHUDO and other personal infor- by fax to 503-371-2935 or e-mail to:hr@eomediagroup.com Lisnyak’s iPad, phone and counts is punishable by up to mation, which is then used computer. That investigation ¿YH\HDUVLQSULVRQDQGXSWR to orchestrate a police raid could reveal new details about LQ¿QHVRUERWKDF- on the target’s home. If the extent of his activities. cording to the FBI. the victim has a computer Just what is ‘swatting’?