In 2017, a $1.50 wager in Call of Duty: WW2 culminated in the death of 28 year old Andrew Finch, a father of two who lived in Wichita, Kansas. The wager was between Ohio resident Casey Viner, now 19, who lost the bet to Shane Gaskill, and after Viner lost, he recruited Tyler Barriss to "swat" Gaskill. Gaskill gave an incorrect address to Barris and Viner and taunted them to "try something." That incorrect address led police to Finch's home; police were told by Barriss that there was a shooting and kidnapping in progress. Upon arrival, police shot and killed Finch, with officers saying that his hand moved toward his waistband, so they believed he was reaching for a gun.
Barriss was sentenced to 20 years in prison for making the false call to police that ultimately ended in Finch's death, in addition to dozens of other swatting calls. And now Casey Viner has also been sentenced for his role in the Wichita swatting incident.
Viner, who originally plead not guilty to the charges, switched his plea to guilty back in April. Viner admitted to the court that he tried to "hide his involvement in the 2017 incident," which is why he was charged with felony charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Viner's guilty plea was an attempt to avoid prison time, but US District judge Eric Melgren has still sentenced Viner to 15 months in prison, in addition to a two year restriction on "gaming activity."
Viner's sentencing won't be the final development in the 2017 Wichita swatting incident. According to a report by NBC News, Gaskill, the one who gave the fake address to Barriss and Viner, has "struck a deal for deferred prosecution," which means that the charges filed against him could be dropped. However, that has yet to happen at the time of this writing.
In the meantime, the Finch family is suing both the city of Wichita and the police who shot Finch. Whether or not the Finch family is successful with their lawsuit remains to be seen. As reported by NBC, the district attorney in Wichita has decide not to charge any of the police involved in the incident.
Source: NBC News