Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was targeted by a “swatting” incident Tuesday night, with police responding to a false report of a shooting at his home in Naples, Florida —the latest in a string of swatting incidents that have targeted Republican politicians in recent days.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks at a press conference on appropriations with members of the House ... [+]
The incident occurred while Scott and his wife were out for dinner, he said on X.
Naples Police officials have confirmed the swatting incident occurred, both in a message on X and in statements to multiple news outlets, noting that at 9:02 p.m., the non-emergency police line received a report of a shooting, but that cops cleared the scene within 15 minutes upon recognizing the hoax.
Police say that the situation is “very much an active and ongoing investigation.”
“These criminals wasted the time & resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize my family,” Scott said on X.
Swatting occurs when an anonymous individual makes a false report of an emergency or potential emerging violence with the intention of prompting a major police response—usually as a prank or form of harassment. This latest incident comes after two other Republican politicians—U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.)—both reported similar incidents on Christmas. It also comes at a time when threats against politicians have been steadily rising in recent years.
Greene has since said there have been additional swatting incidents targeting her family members—including her daughters. She vowed on Wednesday night to introduce legislation “to make it much easier for law enforcement to arrest and prosecutors to prosecute these criminals.”