Four Ohio officials were targeted over the past week in a nationwide swatting operation, according to reports.
Those targeted in the Buckeye State include Attorney General Dave Yost, State Representative Kevin Miller (R-District 69), State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-District 19), and former State Representative Rick Carfagna (Miller, Brenner, and Carfagna pictured above).
Miller, who served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for more than 20 years, announced his home was targeted on Tuesday, December 26.
Special thanks to Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp and his team for their expeditious and professional response.
— State Representative Kevin D. Miller (@kevinmillerohio) December 26, 2023
The state lawmaker wrote on X, “Shortly after 3PM today numerous Sheriff’s Deputies responded to my residence on a false report of a shooting. This “swatting incident” put several lives at risk and was a huge waste of resources. Special thanks to Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp and his team for their expeditious and professional response.”
While speaking to WBNS, Miller said he believes he and Carfagna were targeted in the swatting operation due to their sponsorship of a bill that added swatting to the definition of an offense of violence.
Specifically, the bill made swatting a fourth-degree felony with the possibility of being a second-degree felony if resulting in an injury.
The legislation, House Bill 462, was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine and went into effect on April 3, 2023.
Swatting involves calling 9-1-1 and faking an emergency that draws a large response from law enforcement.
“Needless to say, these calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims. The callers often tell tales of hostages about to be executed or bombs about to go off. The community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies. And the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) explains on its website.
The Ohio officials join a growing list of lawmakers, activists, and pundits who have been swatted in recent weeks. That list includes Georgia U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14), conservative activist Jack Posobiec, political commentator Tim Pool, Florida U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and New York U.S. Representative Brandon Williams (R-NY-22).
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Ohio State Rep. Miller, State Sen. Brenner, and State Rep. Carfagna” by State Rep Kevin Miller.
