NAPLES, Florida – U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) was ‘swatted’ at his home last night in Naples, Florida.
Just after 9 pm, on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, Naples Police Department dispatchers received a call on the agency’s non-emergency line stating that a shooting occurred in the 3100 block of Gordon Drive.
“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, Senator Rick Scott tweeted.
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
“Within 15 minutes, we were able to confirm that the events did not occur, and the incident was a swatting event,” the Naples Police Department stated.
‘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,” NPD added.
Police say that swatting 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 programs to digitize their voices when communicating with police dispatchers.
On December 27th, 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. pic.twitter.com/Sj7M4BwiiA
— Naples Police Dept. (@NaplesPolice) December 28, 2023