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Possible 'swatting' incident at Kyle City Hall causes council meeting recess: police

By
Published  July 16, 2025 12:20pm CDT
Kyle
FOX 7 Austin

The Brief

    • Threats made against City Hall Tuesday night may have been "swatting"
    • Caller claimed a bomb had been placed and they were armed and intended to shoot police officers
    • Council meeting was recessed and will resume tonight (Wednesday, July 16)

KYLE, Texas - Multiple threats made against Kyle City Hall ahead of Tuesday's City Council meeting may have been a case of "swatting", police say.

What we know:

Kyle police responded to multiple threats made against City Hall just before Tuesday's city council meeting began.

At around 6:53 p.m., KPD received a call claiming that a bomb had been put under a nearby vehicle; the caller also said they were armed and intended to shoot officers as they arrived.

Officers already there for the meeting evacuated and secured the building, then conducted a thorough search. However, no credible threats or suspicious items were found.

Investigators now believe this was a case of "swatting", or the act of making a false emergency report with the intent of prompting a heavy police or SWAT response.

The City Council meeting was recessed and is set to reconvene pursuant to Sec. 551.0411 of the Texas Government Code.

What we don't know:

It is unclear why the threats were made at this time or if they were related at all to the council meeting itself. 

What they're saying:

"We treat every threat with the utmost seriousness and respond with urgency to protect our community," said Kyle Police Chief Dr. Jeff Barnett. "In this case, our officers were already present and acted quickly to secure the area, ensuring the safety of everyone involved."

What's next:

The City Council meeting will resume tonight (Wednesday, July 16) at 7 p.m.

The city says additional officers will be present to ensure the continued safety of attendees.

What's on the City Council agenda?

Dig deeper:

The City Council agenda has items on it, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Possible program changes to the Uber Kyle $3.14 program
  • Final design of the all-wheels skate park at Gregg-Clarke Park
  • The newly created Hays County Public Health Advisory Board
  • Various resolutions regarding road and construction projects
  • Resolution to authorize seeking grant funding for a new mobile video surveillance tower system for the police department

Read the full agenda here and below.

KyleCrime and Public Safety