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Sheriff warns of the dangers of 'swatting'
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood warns of the dangers of "swatting" in the aftermath of two recent incidents. An 11-year-old girl appeared in court on Thursday for the first time, accused of texting 911, in great detail, about an imaginary, active kidnapping. The girl was sentenced to house arrest, and she must be with a parent or guardian at all times.
NAPLES, Fla. - Sen. Rick Scott is speaking out on social media after he said his home was targeted in a "swatting" incident that involved a hoax call to police about a man who reportedly shot his wife with an AR-15 and a fake hostage situation.
The former Florida governor said he was at dinner with his wife when "cowards swatted" his home in Naples, according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Swatting" is when someone prank calls law enforcement with the goal of triggering a large police or SWAT Team presence at an unsuspecting victim's home.
"These criminals wasted the time & resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize my family," Scott said.
A spokesperson for the Naples Police Department confirmed the incident to FOX 35.
Just after 9 p.m., dispatchers received a call on the non-emergency line about a shooting that happened on Gordon Drive, police said. Dispatch said the male caller "shot his wife with an AR-15 three times while she was sleeping," according to the Naples Police Department.
Records from the 911 call show the caller identified himself as "Jamal" and said he'd shot his wife because "she was sleeping with another dude," according to police.
"Jamal indicated he was holding a hostage and demanded $10,000. He said the hostage was his wife’s boyfriend, Michael. Jamal said he was in possession of a pipe bomb and, if not provided the $10,000, would blow up the house," police said.
Police said that "Jamal" did not provide anymore identifying information about his wife, "Michael" or himself, and his voice sounded as if it was computer generated.
SWATTING: Florida girl, 11, arrested for fake 911 text that her friend was kidnapped: deputies
WASHINGTON, DC - [DATE]: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) departs the Senate floor following a vote to proceed to the Inflation Reduction Act on August 6, 2022 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Senate plans to work through the weekend to vote on amendments to the …
When police arrived at the house, they were met by IPS security, who said they were unaware of any calls or issues. After a search of the outside the house, police contacted the homeowner, Scott, who requested an interior search of his home.
This search yielded nothing consistent with the caller's report, and police ruled this incident as swatting.
The investigation is still active and ongoing.