CNN
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Authorities are investigating a Christmas Day swatting name at Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s residence in Rome, Georgia.
Greene took to social media Monday morning, posting on X, “I used to be simply swatted. That is just like the eighth time. On Christmas with my household right here.”
On Monday, 911 dispatch knowledgeable officers {that a} name got here by way of the suicide prevention hotline from a person probably calling from Rome, New York, claiming he’d shot his girlfriend at Greene’s Georgia tackle, Rome, Georgia, police data specialist Kelly Madden advised CNN on the telephone. The caller additionally had threatened to kill himself.
Rome Police knowledgeable Greene’s safety group of the telephone name whereas officers have been en path to the house, based on Madden, and have been advised nothing was amiss on the house. Madden mentioned officers have been circled earlier than arriving on the home.
“My native police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t need to cope with this,” Greene added in her publish. “I recognize them a lot and my household and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the beginning of our savior Jesus Christ!”
Swatting is a prank name made to authorities with the specific objective of luring them to a location – often a house – the place they’re led to imagine a horrific crime has been dedicated or is in progress. This leads to a forceful response from native police or SWAT groups, who don’t have any approach of understanding the decision is a hoax.
Republican Rep. Brandon Williams mentioned in a post on X he was additionally swatted on Christmas Day.
“Our house was swatted this afternoon,” the New York Republican mentioned. “Because of the Deputies and Troopers who contacted me earlier than arriving. They left with home made cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas everybody!”
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck confirmed regulation enforcement responded to a swatting incident on the congressman’s home Monday. He added that simply after 2 p.m., authorities from the sheriff’s workplace and the New York State Police responded “to a report of a reported confessed taking pictures incident” at Williams’ house.
“This report was shortly confirmed to be false,” Schenk mentioned, including that his workplace is investigating.
In August 2022, CNN reported that police had responded to repeated swatting incidents at Greene’s house. And final month, a Georgia man was charged with threatening to kill Greene, her household and her workers.
“This isn’t the primary time that we now have acquired a name of this nature,” Madden mentioned Monday. “We do have a great relationship along with her safety element, and it was decided that there was, in reality, no emergency.”
Greene is the US consultant for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District which incorporates Rome. The conservative firebrand has at occasions come below criticism from the left for her controversial and divisive comments. She has additionally confronted backlash from these on her social gathering’s proper flank, when she was removed from the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus earlier this 12 months for criticizing her fellow caucus members and remaining loyal to Republican management.
This story has been up to date with further data.
CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Manu Raju and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.