Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) joined the ranks of elected officials who have been swatted over the Christmas-New Year’s holiday with his Naples, Florida home being swatted Wednesday night. Most of those swatted over the past week have been Republican officials or conservative activists.
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Scott posted a statement on Thursday about the incident:
“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.”
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.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 28, 2023
WINK-TV posted details about the swatting call (excerpt):
According to the Naples Police Department, just after 9 p.m., authorities were headed to the scene after a call came in saying a man shot his wife while sleeping three times with an AR-15.
…According to records of the 911 call, just before 9 p.m., a caller identifying himself as “Jamal” said he shot his wife with an AR-15.
Jamal claimed he shot his wife because she was sleeping with another man. Jamal then told authorities he was holding Michael, his wife’s boyfriend, hostage and demanding $10,000.
Jamal then told authorities he had a pipe bomb. If he was not given the $10,000 he was demanding, Jamal was going to blow up the house.
The person identified as Jamal did not provide any details about his wife or Michael.
Authorities are now saying Jamal’s voice sounded like it was computer-generated and artificial.
Naples police posted a statement Thursday to social media:
On December 27, 2023, at approximately 9:02pm, Naples Police dispatchers received a call on our non-emergency line from an individual stating that a shooting occurred in the 3100 block of Gordon Drive. Within 15 minutes, we were able to confirm that the events did not occur, and the incident was a swatting event. This is very much an active and ongoing investigation.
What is Swatting?
Swatting is defined as a false report of an ongoing emergency or active threat of violence intended to prompt an immediate tactical law enforcement response. The response often prompts confusion on the part of the homeowners and pulls limited resources away from other possible valid emergencies.
Swatting is not a new threat. It has evolved and includes a range of tactics and techniques used with the intent to cause false public alarm and divert law enforcement resources to a hoax threat. Offenders often use spoofing technology to anonymize their own phone numbers and or apps/programs to digitize their voices when communicating with dispatchers.
Swatting scenarios include bomb threats, active shooter scenarios, threats of an imminent shooting rampage, hostage scenarios, and threats involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives agents.
The motivations for swatting vary and include the attention gained from national media coverage, used as a form of harassment or prank, revenge, and/or financial gain.
Recent Swatting Incidents in Naples-Collier County have resulted in immediate law enforcement response out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of the public. We ask the public to appreciate the circumstances and to be patient with law enforcement as we respond to these incidents to ensure the safety of all.
As always, we are in partnership with the public to keep Naples safe. If something “Doesn’t Look Right“ and/or “If You See Something suspicious, Say Something” call us and let the police ensure all is safe.
