U.S. Senator Rick Scott’s Thanksgiving holiday was interrupted early Thursday morning after his Naples home was targeted in a “swatting” incident, marking the second time in less than a year that the senator has faced such a threat.
According to the Naples Police Department, investigators received a suspicious email shortly before 1 a.m. containing a threat directed at the senator’s residence. Officers noted that the message used “language similar to swatting events received by the senator in the past.”
Swatting involves making a hoax call or sending a false report to emergency services to draw a massive, armed police response to a specific location. The FBI warns that these stunts often create confusion that can lead to violence or injury.
READ: Florida, Alabama, And South Dakota Senators Target “Swatting” With Steep Penalties
In this instance, police quickly contacted Scott directly rather than immediately deploying a tactical team. Authorities confirmed that everyone inside the home was safe, though a security sweep of the residence was conducted as a precaution.
Scott addressed the incident in a statement posted to X, condemning the act and the strain it places on public safety resources.
“These attacks are disgusting and cruel acts that only seek to put law enforcement in harm’s way and instill fear in targets and communities – they must stop,” Scott wrote.
This is not an isolated event for the Republican senator. In December 2023, his family was subjected to a similar hoax when a caller falsely reported a shooting at their home. Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have increasingly become targets of these false emergency reports.
READ: 2 Foreign Nationals Charged In ‘Swatting’ Conspiracy Targeting U.S. Lawmakers, Officials
Scott indicated that he intends to turn his frustration into policy. He stated that he is working to pass the “Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act,” federal legislation aimed at imposing stricter penalties on those who orchestrate these hoaxes.
“As law enforcement works to find the coward responsible for the attempt against my home, I’ll keep working to pass [the legislation] to ensure those responsible for these swatting incidents face severe consequences,” Scott stated.
Naples police confirmed that an incident report has been filed and an active investigation is underway to track down the source of the email.
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