Lawmakers across the United States have been targeted by a series of hoax calls known as 'swatting', with Republican officials bearing the brunt of the attacks. Police responded to the home of Florida Senator Rick Scott on Wednesday after a false report that a gunman had killed his wife at the scene. No injuries were reported.
Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was 'swatted' on Christmas Day, with her family present. 'I have been swatted 8 times but the FBI can't seem to figure out who is responsible,' she wrote on social media. New York Republican Congressman Brandon Williams also reported being swatted on Christmas, posting: 'Someone hoped police might accidentally kill me and my family.'
Democrats were not spared, with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also targeted on Christmas. Authorities say swatting—making prank calls to emergency services to deploy a SWAT team—has grown in popularity. Earlier this month, nearly 200 Jewish synagogues and schools across the US were targeted in a single weekend.
An FBI memo obtained by ABC News suggested the threats against synagogues and schools were connected, with Assistant FBI Director Cathy Milhoan stating they 'appear to be originating from outside of the United States'. The practice has deadly consequences: in December 2018, a 28-year-old Kansas man was shot dead by police responding to a hoax call about a hostage situation. A Los Angeles man was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for the call.
