COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., claimed that his Naples home was “swatted” while he and his wife were out having dinner.
According to WINK-TV in Fort Myers, a caller who identified himself as “Jamal” said he shot his wife and was holding another man hostage with a pipe bomb, but Naples police quickly realized it was a hoax.
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The senator said on social media that “criminals wasted the time & resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize” his family Wednesday evening, adding his thanks to Naples police and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
Swatting involves placing a call to law enforcement with the goal of sending authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to an unassuming target’s address.
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Scott is the third Republican lawmaker since Christmas to report being swatted, following claims by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene that she was swatted that morning and by New York Rep. Brandon Williams of being swatted Christmas Day.
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.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 28, 2023
Ann & I want to thank @NaplesPolice & @CollierSheriff for all they do to keep us safe.
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