One man in Kansas was shot dead by police, and another man in Tennessee suffered a fatal heart attack after being targeted. Swatting is a type of harassment in which authorities are tricked into thinking that a serious threat or crime is occurring, prompting police to respond immediately, frequently at the target’s home.
Trump’s transition team stated that “several” of the president-elect’s choices were sent “threats to their lives” on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, but they did not say who was singled out or the number of victims. Threats to their residences were reported by at least six individuals chosen for high-profile roles, including those Trump intends to appoint to lead the Department of Labor.
What is swatting? FBI investigates whether bomb threats against Donald Trump cabinet picks are a hoax.
The FBI confirmed on Thursday that several cabinet nominees of US president-elect Donald Trump received bomb threats. In one of the threats involving a pipe bomb, the authorities have recovered a pro-Palestinian message.
FBI said it is working with other law enforcement agencies as the investigations continue.
How does swatting operate and what is it?
Swattering, according to the Department of Homeland Security, is the practice of sending “malicious hoax calls” to emergency services with the goal of causing “large-scale” deployments of bomb squads, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, or other police resources.
The technique is not only a waste of police and first responder resources, but it can also result in dangerous altercations between law enforcement officials who think they are entering a dangerous situation and innocent victims who might attempt to protect themselves or run.
Has anyone been swatted?
In recent years, streamers, politicians of all stripes, and celebrities have all been swatted, contributing to a troubling trend that hasn’t necessarily resulted in the identification of suspects by law enforcement, much less their arrest or conviction.
Months after the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, the family home of David Hogg, a strong gun control campaigner who survived the tragedy, was swatted.
Reuters reported in January of this year that a swatting episode occurred at the house of U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who was presiding over the criminal case charging Trump with attempting to overturn the 2020 election. Two European males were indicted this summer for allegedly swatting Congress members, law enforcement personnel, and many lawmakers.
