'Swatting' call leads to death of Sumner County man targeted for his Twitter handle

[Jilly_in_VA]

Sixty-year-old Mark Herring was a tech guy.

“He was so smart,” recalled Corinna Fitch, one of Herring’s three daughters who says their father was always ahead of trends. “I think he joined Twitter the day or the week Twitter came about.”

He grabbed a handle that reflected his love for the state where he was born and raised his family.

“He just wanted to be @Tennessee because he loved the Vols,” said Fitch, with a slight smile.

As Twitter grew, it was clear to all that Herring owned prime internet property.

“He would just in passing say, ‘I got another offer on my Twitter handle today.’ “

https://www.wate.com/news/swatting-call-leads-to-death-of-sumner-county-man-targeted-for-his-twitter-handle/
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Watch your kids on the internet......this true story will be fictionalized into a book or movie, I would be willing to bet.

[Docreed2003]

1. So freaking scary and devastating to this family

[tulipsandroses]

2. Reminds me of another case - hit man was hired

To kill a man for his domain name. Luckily, he got the better hand and took out the hit man. He had been threatened by a popular social media figure to give up his domain name. When he didn’t, a hit was put out. Just crazy. I’ll see if I can find the report on that case. It was a while ago. I wonder how many times this has happened.

[Jilly_in_VA]

3. There have been cases

where people have been killed in "swatting" incidents, but those have been where someone has made a fake 911 call to the address.

[tulipsandroses]

4. Yeah, " Swatting"I'm familiar with. Killing

Last edited Wed Jul 14, 2021, 04:36 PM - Edit history (1)

For domain names is what I am wondering about. This is like organized crime families killing for valuable property to make money. This is the 2nd time I have heard about violence against someone to take their “valuable internet real estate”

[Jilly_in_VA]

5. I think it's the first time

I've heard about it. I don't know enough to do it, but it would make a hell of a good thriller novel for someone to write.

[tulipsandroses]

6. Social media influencer gets 14 years in prison for plot to 'hijack' website at gunpoint

This is the case I was thinking of.

Social media influencer gets 14 years in prison for plot to 'hijack' website at gunpoint
The man was convicted for plotting an armed home invasion to try and obtain the rights to doitforstate.com, an unsanctioned Iowa State University site.

A 27-year-old social media influencer was sentenced to federal prison Monday for an armed plot to threaten a man in an effort to obtain a website domain name.
Rossi Lorathio Adams II was found guilty for one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force, threats, and violence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa. Adams plotted to intimidate the unnamed owner of a domain name and "hijack" the website, the attorney's office said.
SNIP

The influencer made repeated efforts between 2015 and 2017 to obtain the domain name but the owner refused to sell the rights to doitforstate.com, according to prosecutors.
SNIP
In June 2017, Adams asked his cousin, Sherman Hopkins, Jr., to break into the domain owner's home and threaten him at gunpoint until he complied. Adams drove his cousin, a convicted felon, to the house and provided him instructions on how to transfer the domain rights to his GoDaddy account.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/social-media-influencer-gets-14-years-prison-plot-hijack-website-n1098721