Latest swatting victim: The White House
- Someone told dispatchers the White House was on fire
- There was no fire, nobody was hurt
- Swatting incidents targeting high-profile politicians and judges rising
The White House is lit in blue and white, the colors of the Israeli flag, to underscore U.S. solidarity with Israel, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Emergency personnel Monday morning swarmed 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – the White House – in what appeared to be a swatting incident.
Washington, D.C. fire and EMS crews responded to a report that the White House was on fire and a person was trapped inside. It was quickly determined to be a false alarm.
The call came in at approximately 7:03 a.m., a minute later, DC Fire and EMS was dispatched, and by 7:16 a.m., the situation was determined to be clear, according to Noah Gray, Chief Communications Officer for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
“This looks like it was some type of swatting call,” a source familiar with the incident told NewsNation. “There was no emergency within the White House and no impact to staff or the first family. Once fire crews arrived, the situation was quickly resolved.”
President Joe Biden was not on White House grounds during the incident.
There has been a surge in swatting incidents — the term for making a false report of an ongoing serious crime or emergency to elicit a response from law enforcement — in recent weeks targeting various public officials.
Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, the federal judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s election interference case and special counsel, and Jack Smith, who filed the election indictment against Trump, were both targeted in separate incidents after reports of shootings at their homes.
Attorney General Merrick Garland previously warned of a “deeply disturbing spike” in threats against those who serve the public, including members of Congress and presidential candidates.
NewsNation’s Evan Lambert contributed to this report.
