(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) On Monday, the Biden White House fell victim to a swatting incident following a hoax 911 call falsely reporting a fire within the building, NBC News reported.
The unidentified prank caller falsely claimed that an individual was trapped inside, igniting the dispatch of several D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department units to the White House grounds at 7:00 a.m. ET.
According to NBC, Noah Gray, the spokesperson for D.C. Fire and Emergency, mentioned that the fake call was “in the same spirit” as previous “swatting” incidents involving various politicians.
The White House now joins a list including Reps. Marjorie Taylor, R-Ga.; Brandon Williams, R-N.Y.; Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Boston Mayor Michelle Wu; multiple Georgia state legislators; a former Nebraska lawmaker; and a current legislator from Ohio, all of whom have been targeted in swatting incidents.
Most recently, individuals known for their opposition to Donald Trump, such as such as Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan have also faced swatting incidents.
Swatting occurs when someone reports an imminent crime at a specific location with the intent of provoking a forceful law enforcement response.
D.C. Fire and Emergency said that no law enforcement was deployed to the White House, and the Secret Service stated that a potential fire would have been detected, according to NBC News.
At the time of the incident, President Joe Biden was at Camp David.
Greene, one of the most vocal critics of swatting who has been targeted multiple times, has proposed federal legislation seeking harsher penalties for individuals caught making fake police reports.
“The dangerous swatting harassment continues, as tonight, one of my family members was swatted at their house,” Greene said on Dec. 27. “I will be introducing legislation to make it much easier for law enforcement to arrest and prosecutors to prosecute these criminals.”
Swatting calls are coming in on many Members of Congress, Senators, State Reps and Mayors and Lt Governors, and many members of our families.
Is our government under attack?
Swatting calls are also police harassment and an attack on police.
We need to stop this now.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 28, 2023
