Billionaire Democratic donor George Soros’ estate in Southhampton Village in New York was swarmed by police after a fake 911 call claiming the elderly left-wing donor had shot and killed his wife, The New York Post reported on Tuesday.
Soros is just the latest in a string of high-profile celebrities and political activists targeted by fake 911 distress calls. The prank, called “swatting,” is considered very dangerous.
The Southampton Village Police Department said they received a 911 calls at 9:00 p.m. Saturday
“Spoke to security, searched the premises. It was [a] negative problem,” one of the responding police officers reported, according to The Post.
It is not clear if Soros or his family were home at the time.
Legal scholar Jonathan Turley, who defended former President Donald Trump at his two impeachment trials, was also targeted in a “swatting” call last week.
“Yes, I was swatted this evening. It is regrettably a manifestation of our age of rage,” the George Washington University law professor said Friday.
“However, we are grateful to the Fairfax police officers who were highly professional and supportive in responding to this harassment,” Turley said.
Swatting has targeted numerous politicians and high-profile political activists in the past year. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, and Georgia Rep. Majorie Taylor Green, a Republican, were also recently targeted.
[READ MORE] Two GOP representatives ‘swatted’ Christmas Day
The Horn editorial team