Florida GOP senator Rick Scott’s Naples home swatted
By CNN’s Shirin Faqiri
(CNN) — Florida Sen. Rick Scott’s home in Naples was swatted Wednesday night, according to Naples Police spokesperson Lt. Bryan McGinn.
Scott posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thursday morning, stating: “Last night, while at dinner with my wife, cowards ‘swatted’ my home in Naples. These criminals wasted the time & resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize my family.”
Swatting is a prank call made to authorities with the express purpose of luring them to a location – usually a home – where they are led to believe a horrific crime has been committed or is in progress. This results in a forceful response from local police or SWAT teams, who have no way of knowing the call is a hoax.
McGinn said that police had responded to a phone call on the non-emergency line where an individual said a shooting had occurred. After 15 minutes on the scene, police had determined it was a “swatting event” and that no one was currently at the residence, according to McGinn.
“People are utilizing spoofing techniques and things like that to change their phone numbers,” McGinn said. “Apps and programs are more available, readily to digitize voices so people can hide and shield their voice from law enforcement when they’re communicating with dispatchers and things of that nature.”
McGinn went on to say that the investigation is ongoing and although swatting is not a “new threat,” it is evolving and that it is unclear if any of these new tactics were used in this case.
Separately, authorities are investigating a Christmas Day swatting call at Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s residence in Rome, Georgia.
Republican Rep. Brandon Williams of New York said in a post on X his home was also swatted on Christmas Day.
There is no indication at this time that these three events are related.
CNN’s Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.
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