At 2 p.m. on Christmas Day, Congressman Brandon Williams (RN.Y.) received an emergency call from a local sheriff’s office in upstate New York. There had been a shooting at his home and deputies were on their way.
However, that wasn’t true. Williams was at home with her family, and they were all safe.
“Of course, I told them it was all cool in there and I greeted them outside to make them feel safe and not escalate the situation,” he said.
Williams, who joined Congress in January 2023, knew he was the victim of an attempted “swatting” even before law enforcement arrived. This is a false call to the police claiming that someone’s life is in danger. This deceptive practice was intended to draw armed SWAT teams to specific locations, and was sometimes deadly.
Like Williams, other politicians and law enforcement officials have been embroiled in swatting scandals in recent weeks, which law enforcement experts say are a result of the hostile political climate during a competitive presidential election season. It is said to be a product of Those named in the report include Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said she was also the victim of a swatting attack this Christmas. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows recently ruled that former President Donald Trump is constitutionally ineligible to participate in the state’s primary ballot. Special Counsel Jack Smith is overseeing the prosecution of Trump in two federal cases. and Tanya Chutkan, a federal judge involved in President Trump’s election interference case.
A series of incidents have occurred against a backdrop of threats and harassment against public servants.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week in remarks addressing violent crimes across the country that the Justice Department is committed to investigating threats against FBI agents, federal judges, members of Congress, election officials and others. Ta. He pointed to the arrest of a Florida man on Jan. 3 in connection with threats to kill Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and his children.
“At the same time that we are seeing an encouraging downward trend in violent crime, we are also seeing a very alarming spike in threats to those who serve the public,” Garland said.
The FBI added that it “takes these types of threats that endanger innocent people very seriously.”
In May, the FBI launched a national online database to allow police departments and law enforcement agencies to share information about swatting incidents. People making phone calls often use technology to mask their real voice, caller information, and location.
Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI assistant director and national security analyst for NBC News, said the FBI’s database helps government agencies determine who is making the calls and whether they are connected to the case. “It’s important to connect the dots,” he said.
“You may think you’re anonymous, but the FBI and local law enforcement are working together to contact you, and the SWAT team you’re trying to get into someone else’s home is going to be in your home.” It may also appear in the future,” Figrizzi said. He said.
He added that to reduce the number of incidents, it is essential that callers are held criminally responsible.
California, where the homes of Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Tom Cruise were hacked, passed a law in 2013 that requires anyone found guilty of falsely reporting an emergency to pay the full cost of police response. It was enacted in Last year, Ohio and Virginia also increased penalties for swatting.
But law enforcement experts say the financial burden and tied up resources are a small price to pay when people’s lives are at risk. In 2017, a Kansas man was killed on his doorstep by police responding to a fraudulent 911 call, and in 2021, a Tennessee man died of a heart attack after police swarmed his home.
Swatting “poses a dilemma for law enforcement,” Figliuzzi said. “Of course they are very familiar with the level of increased swatting incidents, but that doesn’t mean they can’t respond to calls for help or a man with a gun or a hostage situation, so they is walking the ‘line here without being fined. The good news is that they are so aware of this increase that they probably won’t respond with a SWAT team. They do it very quietly. ”
But Figliuzzi said such incidents could escalate further as more people are “enabled by the current political environment.”
In Williams’ case, he believes his outspoken support for Israel in the Gaza conflict made him a target. The person who called police claimed Williams had used a gun in his home and was considering self-harm. The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office happened to know the address they were called to and was able to contact Williams prior to his arrival, he said.
“You’d be surprised if that happens to you,” Williams said. “It’s very personal. It’s very violating.”
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Shenk said Wednesday that no arrests have been made and the motive for the fraudulent call remains under investigation.
“Given what we’ve seen with a lot of elected officials and high-ranking officials, I think the people who are doing this are trying to cause chaos,” Schenk said. “It is very disappointing.”