Swatting call was an 'assassination attempt', says US politician - BBC News

Elected officials have been targeted by dangerous pranks which saw heavily armed police sent to their homes.

14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Brandon WilliamsImage caption, Congressman Brandon Williams (third from left) outside his homeBy Gary O'DonoghueWashington correspondent, BBC NewsOn Christmas Day last year, Republican Congressman Brandon Williams was enjoying exchanging gifts with his family when a call came in on his cell phone.

At first, he didn't recognise the number, so ignored it. But when the phone's software transcribed the voicemail, he saw with horror that it was a message from the local Sheriff's office describing a shooting at his home.

Police had received a report that a man claiming to have killed his girlfriend was threatening to shoot himself, and that there were children in the house.

He immediately knew it was a swatting incident, he told the BBC.

"I had to put my family in a safe place, and be prepared to engage with the police in a way to de-escalate immediately," he recalled, "and I only had 60 seconds to make that happen."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68297349

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