Politician rallying against SWATting falls victim herself

Writing about SWATting victims is as depressing as writing about data breaches, but this is the future we live in. In regards to the former, the politician who’s come out strongest against the potentially deadly prank found herself on the receiving end of it recently. As her Boston local CBS station reports, Congresswoman Katherine Clark had a smattering of police officers with “long guns” on her front lawn Sunday night. What’d she do, broadcast some Counter-Strike? No, She’s rallying behind the Interstate Swatting Hoax Act, a bill that’d make prank calling the SWAT team on someone a federal offense. Currently, the law states that faking a bomb threat or terrorist attack via telecommunications and across state lines is illegal; SWATting is not.

The Boston Globe writes that at 9:57 PM a computer generated voice left a tip left saying that there shots had been fired and there was an “active shooter” in Clark’s home. Police were dispatched, but an actual SWAT team wasn’t. Clark and her family luckily made it through unscathed, but from the sounds of it, this incident had the exact opposite result of what its perpetrators likely hoped — for her to give up. She told the Globe that this will only strengthen her resolve.

I’m thankful no one was hurt & grateful for the timeliness and professionalism of the #Melrose Police Dept. https://t.co/Zq2LYfdGTE

— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) February 1, 2016

Source: Katherine Clark (Twitter), CBS Local, The Boston Globe