A 20-year-old has recently been arrested in Nógrád County, northern Hungary. The National Bureau of Investigation (NNI) arrested him in connection with an alleged swatting incident in Tiverton, Rhode Island, two years ago. The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the vicenarian for giving wrong information about the incident to the authorities.
According to the FBI’s official website in Boston, Rhode Island’s Tiverton Police Department received a call on April 24, 2024. In an apparent emergency call, it was claimed that a man had murdered his family and planned to shoot his dog and himself. As a result, Tiverton Police immediately responded to the scene and, upon arrival, realized it was a swatting incident.
Hoax threats are not a joke and have real-life consequences. An #FBI Boston investigation into a 2024 swatting incident in Tiverton, Rhode Island, has resulted in the recent arrest of a 20-year-old man from Nógrád County in northern Hungary by the National Bureau of Investigation… pic.twitter.com/cupbXsfzGK
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) May 7, 2026
For the unversed, swatting is a criminal act by a person (or group) who intentionally provides wrong information about a potential threat to life to provoke an urgent response to an ongoing active incident. In incidents like these, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units, bomb squads, and other units are often deployed. Schools, businesses, and residences may also be evacuated.
Such false information exhausts law enforcement resources, risks innocent people, and can cause significant discomfort or physical injury to first responders or victims.
Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation‘s Providence office, alongside the Tiverton Police Department, sought assistance from the FBI’s legal attaché office in Budapest during the investigation. Authorities said international cooperation helped the Transatlantic Department of the NNI track down and arrest the suspect. Digital evidence allegedly linked him to the fake emergency call.
The Hungarian authorities said that the individual confessed to the reported offense during interrogation. While the case moves through the Hungarian judicial system, he has been released from custody. The release notes that no additional information will be publicized at this time as the investigation into the matter continues.
In other news, according to NewsNation, at least four zoos and aquariums in the central part of the United States had to be temporarily shut down as a safety precaution after receiving swatting calls.
On the morning of May 1, the Louisville Zoo was emptied for a “safety threat” as authorities received calls claiming that there was an explosive device on the property. Police later searched the area, issued an “all-clear,” and found no danger.
Zoo Miami is currently closed after deputies confirmed a swatting call was made Friday afternoon.😳| #ONLYinDADE
*🗞️ Zoo officials said on social media that an anonymous caller reported a bomb threat.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, the call appears to be a hoax,… pic.twitter.com/AMCGrlS98R
— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) March 13, 2026
Additionally, police officials in Ohio also received calls around the same time reporting bomb threats and gunshots at the Toledo Zoo. Sgt. Mohamad Nasser said tactical teams, bomb specialists, and K9 units were deployed to the scene, where authorities ultimately found no public safety threat. Nonetheless, the officials said that the zoo had to be closed for the day.
On Saturday, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee also received a bomb threat. So did the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio.
President and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Tom Schmid, said that the employees had recently conducted drills to handle such calls. “This is part of life now around the country, around the world. And so we have to make sure we’re vigilant,” he added.
