Suspect in fatal hoax had history of similar calls
LOS ANGELES - In some corners of the online gaming world, Tyler Rai Barriss was a notorious figure.
The 25-year-old Los Angeles man had built a reputation for helping others gain revenge on rival players. He also had a history of making fake bomb threats and other hoaxes that sowed chaos and landed him in jail.
"There are 10 backpacks that have bombs in them," he said in one call to an L.A. elementary school that was immediately evacuated, according to court records. "Do not take this lightly."
Sometimes using his grandmother's phone and computer, Barriss called in at least two dozen fake bomb threats and other prank emergencies in recent years, targeting a television station in
