Peach Tree Times

Gabe Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Secretary of State, has disclosed that his family has recently fallen prey to a growing trend known as "swatting," in which false emergency calls are made to provoke law enforcement responses at specific residences. This occurrence adds another tally to the increasing number of swatting incidents aimed at Georgia lawmakers.

Sterling voiced his concern over these incidents stating, "My family has now joined the ranks of those who have had their home 'swatted'". He further urged, "We should all refuse to allow bomb threats & swatting to be the new normal". Detailing the incident at his residence, he said, "911 got a call saying a drug deal gone bad resulted in shooting at our home". Despite the scare, he reassured everyone by stating, "Everyone is ok."

According to Fox 5 Atlanta's report, numerous Georgia government officials including State Senators Kay Kirkpatrick, Clint Dixon and Kim Jackson as well as Lt. Gov. Burt Jones have reported similar false 911 calls in recent weeks. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene along with officials outside Georgia such as Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and Texas AG Ken Paxton also admitted being victims of analogous hoax calls during the holiday period. Earlier this week, a bomb threat led to an evacuation at the Georgia State Capitol causing temporary disruption and necessitating safety measures.

Fox News reported that Greene expressed her distress over these incidents saying: "They had been told that I had murdered someone and that I was ready to commit suicide and that I was willing to shoot police officers when they came into my house. It's so serious that not only has it happened to me eight times, it's also happened to my family members. I've started to ask: is this an attack on our government, as well as an attack on the police?"

Fox 5 reports that initial charges for making false emergency calls are considered a high-grade misdemeanor. However, if such actions impact critical infrastructure, they escalate to a felony carrying a 5 to 10-year prison term or a $100,000 fine. A second conviction leads to more severe penalties and if injury or death results from these actions, an additional one to 10 years in prison may be added along with potential restitution payments to victims. The circumstances of the incident can also lead to additional charges.