COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and a state representative from Newark were both victims of a swatting call Tuesday afternoon.
According to a spokesperson from Yost’s office, a call was made to the attorney general’s home in Columbus around 3:30 p.m. Officers with the Columbus Division of Police cleared the home.
Yost was reportedly not home at the time. It's unclear what the subject of the swatting call was.
10TV has reached out to Yost's office for further comment on the incident.
State Representative Kevin Miller, who represents Coshocton, Perry and Licking counties, also reported that sheriff’s deputies responded to his home just after 3 p.m. for a false report of a shooting.
Miller posted a statement to Facebook saying, “This ‘swatting incident’ put several lives at risk and was a huge waste of resources.” He thanked the first responders for their professional response.
Miller sponsored a bill that passed earlier this year addressing hoax emergency calls within the state. The legislation made “swatting” a fourth-degree felony, and if a person is physically harmed during a resulting police response, it would be a second-degree felony. Those convicted could also be financially responsible for the costs of the law enforcement response.
State Senator Andrew Brenner and former Rep. Rick Carfagna were targeted with swatting calls, authorities said.
The Ohio public officials were not the only ones who have fallen victim to swatting calls recently.
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene shared to X, that she was "swatted" on Christmas morning and on Dec. 21. Greene said that she has been swatted eight times, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation hasn’t been able to find the person or persons responsible.
This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is made available.