OHIO, USA — At least four Ohio officials were victims of 'swatting calls' on Tuesday, police said.
“Hello, I just shot my wife with an AR-15. My name is Jamal and I just shot my wife with an AR-15,” said a caller to a 9-1-1 dispatcher.
That call was allegedly made claiming to be coming from several different political leaders' homes, including Representative Kevin Miller, former Representative Rick Carfagna, Senator Andrew Brenner and Attorney General Dave Yost.
The leaders told 10TV that they think they were targeted because of the swatting bill they passed last year which added criminal penalties to those types of calls.
“I saw several cruisers, sheriff's deputy cruisers coming and stopping. At that point, I thought something is not good here, what in the world is going on?” Miller said.
Miller, a former commander for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, was at home with his children Tuesday afternoon when about a dozen Licking County Sheriff's deputies showed up to his door.
“He said we have a report of a shooting there, it obviously looks like this is going to be a swatting incident,” Miller explained.
Miller was the sponsor of the legislation that passed and went into effect this past April.
“[The law] creates a specific offense for swatting. If you are convicted of swatting, it's a fourth-degree felony, unless there's an injury in which case the penalties are increased to a second-degree felony,” he said.
Miller explains he sponsored the legislation because of the dangers from swatting calls, which are dangers that now have been brought to his home.
“Officers put themselves at risk each and every day. For someone to pull off a hoax like this, putting them at risk, the other motorists at risk. It is very aggravating."
No one was hurt responding to the swatting calls.
Miller is hoping those behind the calls are held responsible.
“My biggest frustration once again was the wasted resources, all those officers that responded to something that was a complete hoax,” he said.
Senator Brenner received not one, but two swatting calls on Tuesday. He said he wants to talk to congressional leaders about federal penalties for these incidents.