Anonymous call falsely mobilizes law enforcement, which is a growing trend.
The White House became the latest victim of the increasing practice of “swatting” on Monday when an anonymous caller sent multiple first responders to address a hoax emergency at the president’s quarters.
An emergency call received at 7:03 am informed first responders that a fire had broken out at the White House and that a person was trapped on the scene. Multiple law enforcement members, fire crews, and emergency vehicles arrived at the White House to help. However, 15 minutes after the call had been placed, it was traced to a fake number, and the incident was confirmed to be a hoax.
Swatting has grown more prevalent in recent years, with several politicians having been on the receiving end of this criminal act. The goal of the practice is to use law enforcement to harass the target at their home address, causing confusion and alarm when emergency units appear for seemingly no reason at their residence. In some cases, Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) teams have raided the victim’s home on false reports that there were hostages held inside, which is where the term swatting originates.
President Joe Biden was not at the White House when the incident occurred, but Attorney General Merrick Garland still described it as “deeply disturbing” in remarks before a private meeting shortly after.
“These threats of violence are unacceptable. They threaten the fabric of our democracy,” the attorney general said.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Attorney General Garland and Justice Department officials as they seek the culprit in the emergency call hoax.
- For the safety of first responders and those targeted by the fake emergency calls.
- For governing officials to come up with solutions to eliminate incidents of hoax 911 calls.
Sources: USA Today, The Hill, The Guardian
