LANCASTER, Calif. — A teenager from Lancaster, California, has been labeled a “serial swatter” due to alleged involvement in hundreds of swatting incidents and bomb threats across the United States. The teenager, Alan Filion, 17, has been extradited to Florida to face charges for a swatting incident at a mosque, according to the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office.
Swatting is the act of making a false report to the police in order to lure them to a specific location by claiming that a violent crime is taking place. This dangerous hoax has been on the FBI’s radar for nearly two decades, becoming more widely known as celebrities and even federal judges and lawmakers have been targeted.
Filion allegedly threatened a mass shooting at the Masjid Al Hayy Mosque in Sanford, Florida, during a phone call to law enforcement in May 2023. According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Filion claimed to have a handgun and explosive devices during the call. Additionally, a 911 call captured the caller stating intentions to “commit a mass shooting in the name of Satan,” with the sound of gunfire in the recording. Approximately 30 law enforcement officers responded to the mosque, according to the sheriff’s office.
The teenager is accused of targeting high schools, historically Black colleges, FBI offices and agents, as well as making threats to bomb military bases and the Pentagon, according to the state attorney’s office. Law enforcement officers, in collaboration with the FBI and the Department of Justice, were able to trace the mosque 911 call back to Filion’s address in Lancaster, California, by tracking various IP addresses connected to his accounts on swatting service websites.
Filion has been charged as an adult and faces multiple felony charges, including false reporting and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, each while facilitating or furthering an act of terrorism and while showing prejudice. Court records show that he has pleaded not guilty and is currently in custody. The Seminole County Sheriff, Dennis Lemma, condemned swatting as a “perilous and senseless crime” and emphasized their commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.