White House Swatting Incident: False Fire Alarm Triggers Heavy Response, US

The White House was targeted in a swatting incident on Monday morning, with emergency services rushing to the scene after receiving a false report of a trapped individual and a fire inside the building. The call came in at 7:03 a.m., prompting the dispatch of 13 units from the D.C. Fire and EMS department. However, it was soon determined, in coordination with the Secret Service, that there was no emergency. President Joe Biden was not at the White House when the incident occurred, as he was at Camp David. While the White House declined to comment, politicians from both parties have recently fallen victim to similar swatting incidents, where fake calls are made to trigger a heavily armed response team. This uptick in swatting incidents is believed to be a result of the hostile political climate during an intense election season. The Justice Department has expressed concern about these threats, and Attorney General Merrick Garland recently announced an increasing number of investigations into threats against public figures.