As the years go by, swatting incidents are becoming more and more frequent in the US. Sometimes, these swat calls target regular homes, while other times, people in power are the targets. Three major swatting incidents occurred on Christmas Day alone among three political figures.
One of these officials was the Boston Mayor, Michelle Wu. She confirmed that her home was swatted on December 25th, around 5:30 pm. A man called dispatchers claiming that he shot his wife and tied her and another man at the mayor’s home in Roslindale.
As expected, armed officers and EMT crews quickly swarmed the address, hoping to salvage the situation. However, they quickly realized it was the mayor’s home and the call was a fake.
Wu was shocked; she was having a good Christmas with her family when the flashing police lights interrupted them. Surprisingly, she overcame the shock quickly and was calm for most of it. This is because this was not her first swatting incident. In fact, she told WBUR that it has happened to her many times since her election in November 2021.
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She said, “For better or worse, my family is a bit used to it by now, and we have a good system with the department.” Just like with the previous swat calls, the police have yet to identify the source of these fake calls. However, they are still investigating this case in relation to the earlier calls.
Another political figure who was a victim of swatting on Christmas Day was GOP Majorie Taylor Green. On the festive day, an unidentified individual made a call to a suicide hotline claiming that he shot his girlfriend and would kill himself.
He also gave Ms Greene’s address in Rome, Georgia, as the location of the crime. Recognizing the address, the police officers contacted Greene’s local security liaison and canceled the police response.
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Like with Wu, this was also not her first swatting incident. Several people have called in fake crimes to the police using her address, and this was the eighth time. GOP Congressman Brandon Williams was the third politician to experience a swatting incident on Christmas Day.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), he announced that state troopers and sheriff deputies showed up at his house with five patrol vehicles in response to the call. Thankfully, they quickly figured out the situation and realized it was a hoax call.
Williams and his wife sent the officers on their way with homemade cookies and spiced nuts for their trouble. He also added in his post that he is “Thankful for law enforcement working today (& every day).” The police department is also investigating both incidents thoroughly.
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These politicians are not the only victims of police swatting in recent times. Many celebrities have also experienced swatting incidents in their homes on random days. For example, the global rap superstar Nicki Minaj reported three swatting incidents in 2023 alone.
Incidents have also been reported in schools, causing panic among parents who thought their children’s schools were under attack. Therefore, swatting is a very serious crime that has real-life consequences for its victims.
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