FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Secretary of State Office’s Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling says he has “joined the ranks” after becoming the latest victim of “swatting” calls targeting political figures across metro Atlanta.
Sterling said 911 received a call regarding a “drug deal gone wrong” that resulted in a shooting at his Sandy Springs home. Sterling confirmed that this was false information.
“Swatting” occurs when someone calls authorities to someone else’s house based on a fake emergency.
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“My family has now joined the ranks of those who have had their home ‘swatted.’ We should all refuse to allow bomb threats and swatting to be the new normal,” Sterling said in a statement on social media.
My family has now joined the ranks of those who have had their home “swatted”. We should all refuse to allow bomb threats & swatting to be the new normal. 911 got a call saying a drug deal gone bad, resulted in shooting, at our home. Everyone is ok. But this is wrong.
— Gabriel Sterling (@GabrielSterling) January 3, 2024
Sterling is one of at least seven Georgia lawmakers to have “swatting” calls made against their homes within a month.
Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones, U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R), and state Senators John Albers (R-Roswell), Clint Dixon (R-Buford), Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain), and Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) were also targeted by these calls.
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Congresswoman Greene said on social media that this was the eighth time her home in Rome has been swatted.
Channel 2′s Michael Doudna spoke with state Senator Albers, who said he was away visiting family, but his son was home when the police arrived.
“This is a serious crime, and these people who are doing this need to be arrested. They need to understand the consequences of their actions,” State Senator Albers said.
No arrests have been made.
Channel 2 Action News contacted Sandy Springs Police Department officials for more information but has not received a response.
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