Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) joined the list of public servants swatted in recent days.

“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. Ann & I want to thank @NaplesPolice & @CollierSheriff for all they do to keep us safe,” Scott said.

Scott posted an update and said he’s talking to law enforcement about legislation to ensure those who make swatting calls are brought to justice.

“I’m going to make sure that the cowards who make these calls & waste law enforcement resources to terrorize & harass their targets will face real consequences. I’m talking to law enforcement about what legislation is needed to guarantee justice when ‘swatting’ calls happen,” Scott explained.

NBC News reports:

Reached for comment, Lt. Bryan McGinn, spokesperson for Naples police, said the department’s dispatchers received a call about a shooting on its nonemergency line at approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday night. Within 15 minutes, police confirmed that “the events did not occur and the incident was a swatting event,” McGinn said, adding there is a “very much an active and ongoing investigation” into the incident.

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A report associated with the swatting call said a male caller told a dispatcher that he had shot his wife with an AR-15 three times while she was sleeping. A security officer was unaware of any calls or issues at the residence upon police arrival. Officers conducted a search of the outside perimeter of the residence and found no signs of forced entry.

When the exterior search concluded, officers contacted the homeowner, who requested they search the inside the residence, but they found nothing as described by the caller.

The list of other elected officials swatted includes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY).

With the slate of recent swatting calls, Republican lawmakers have discussed introducing legislation for harsher penalties for swatting calls.

Per Fox News:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is pledging to fight for harsher penalties for people who falsely call emergency services to someone’s home or another specific location, a prank known as “swatting.”

Greene, who has been a victim of the move multiple times herself, announced on X that a relative of hers had been swatted on Wednesday night.

“The dangerous swatting harassment continues, as tonight, one of my family members was swatted at their house,” she wrote.

“I will be introducing legislation to make it much easier for law enforcement to arrest and prosecutors to prosecute these criminals.”

Hours later, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced Thursday morning that his home had been swatted. Scott said he and his wife were not home at the time.

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DC Draino said swatting should be a federal crime punishable by minimum 15 years in prison.

 

 

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