Andrew Finch was killed at his front door in Wichita, Kansas, on December 28 after police surrounded his home.
Police rushed to the address after receiving an emergency call from a man who claimed to have shot his father during a family argument and was holding hostages inside the man’s home.
It was not until later that authorities learned the call was a hoax, known as swatting, in which people falsely report an emergency to authorities that requires a police response, usually by SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams.
Tyler Barriss, a 25-year-old from California, has been arrested in connection with the incident.
US media reports the call was sparked by a row between two gamers playing Call of Duty online, with members of the online gaming community claiming two people threatened to ‘swat’ each other over a $2 bet.
One of the gamers allegedly gave a false address, which turned out to be the house Mr Finch and his family were in.
Tweets that allegedly confirm these rumours have since been deleted but not before they were screenshotted by local newspaper The Wichita Eagle.
One person allegedly wrote: “Someone tried to swat me and got an innocent man killed.”
Meanwhile another account reportedly later tweeted: “I DIDNT GET ANYONE KILLED BECAUSE I DIDNT DISCHARGE A WEAPON AND BEING A SWAT MEMBER ISNT MY PROFESSION.”
Audio of the emergency call has been made public and in it, the caller can be heard telling authorities that he shot his father in the head following an argument and was holding his mother and siblings hostage.
He then threatens to burn the house down, saying: “I might just pour gasoline all over the house – I might just set it on fire”, before he hangs up.
Police claim Mr Finch was shot after he repeatedly failed to comply with their demands for him to keep his hands up.
He was later found to be unarmed and died and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Wichita Police Department Deputy Chief Troy Livingston said: “The irresponsible actions of the prankster put people and lives at risk.
“The incident was a nightmare for everyone involved, including the family and our police department.
“Due to the actions of a prankster, we have an innocent victim. Had the false police call not been made, we would not have been there.
“We don’t see it as a joke, it’s not a prank. It heightened the awareness of the officers, and we think it led to this deadly encounter.”