Kansas "SWATting" suspect expresses regret from jail

WICHITA, Kan. -- A California gamer said he is willing to accept punishment for a fatal police shooting that stemmed from a false 911 report, according to a jailhouse interview with CBS affiliate KWCH-TV. While expressing regret over the death Sunday, the 25-year-old man did not directly admit to making the call.

Tyler Barris is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Wichita resident Andrew Finch, 28, who was shot after police responded to a 911 call from a man claiming to have shot and kidnapped members of his family at the address where Finch lived. Depending on the results of an ongoing investigation, those charges could become more severe, according to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.

"As far as serving any amount of time. I'll just take responsibility and serve whatever time, or whatever it is that they throw at me… I'm willing to do it," said Barriss, who is currently being held in the Sedgwick County jail on a $500,000 bond. "Whether you hang me from a tree, or you give me five, 10, 15 years…I don't think it will ever justify what happened."

The fake call was apparently made after a dispute over a small wager during a "Call of Duty" online video game tournament, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors say Barriss made the call from L.A. using a Wichita area code. In the 911 recording, the suspect is heard telling the dispatcher he had "already poured gasoline all over the house" and was going to set it on fire.  

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett told reporters that an investigation is ongoing into the involvement of other online gamers.

During the interviews with KWCH on Friday and Sunday, Barriss admitted to receiving money for similar fake calls in the past, a practice often called "SWATtting"; however, Barriss would not discuss the involvement of other people who might have been involved in the Dec 28 hoax. 

Barriss, whose "Call of Duty" handle is "SWAuTistic," claims that he began making fake 911 calls after he and his grandmother were victims of a swatting call in 2015.

Finch was shot outside his home by a Wichita police officer who thought he was reaching for a gun, according to the local police department. The name of the officer involved has not been released.

In the interview, Barriss focused on his own responsibility for the incident, rather than that of police. "Of course, you know, I feel a little of remorse for what happened. I never intended for anyone to get shot and killed. I don't think during any attempted swatting anyone's intentions are for someone to get shot and killed," he said.