Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) on Thursday announced that his home was “swatted” this week — a term used to describe an individual or individuals issuing a false report to emergency responders, prompting them to go to the targeted location.
“Last night, while at dinner with my wife, cowards ‘swatted’ my home in Naples,” Scott said on X, formally known as Twitter. “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 added:
A spokesperson for the Naples police, Lt. Bryan McGinn, said authorities received a call about a shooting at the location around 9:00 p.m. Wednesday night. According to NBC News, “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,” the outlet reported. McGinn affirmed that “The events did not occur and the incident was a swatting event.” An investigation is ongoing.
Scott is not the only public figure to experience this, as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) revealed on X that she was swatted on Christmas. She said it was “like the 8th time” that it has happened to her.
“My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this,” she wrote in part.