Police received a call claiming a man had been shot, sending them on their way to Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's house, only to discover she had been the target of a swatting call.
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Wednesday and Thursday was the target of swatting calls, where police were sent false tips meant to garner a large, armed police presence to her Georgia home, according to police.
The Rome Police Department said in an incident report that on Wednesday they received a call from a VA crisis line around 1 a.m. about a man who was "shot 5 times in a bathtub,” according to CBS.
Police said the crisis line said a female was still in the home and "possibly had some children inside with her," according to the outlet.
While on the way, authorities learned that the home belonged to Greene. The report said that they were unsure of the situation, but made a “tactical approach” to the home and rang the doorbell, according to CBS.
Greene answered the door minutes later, saying that there were no issues at her home but that she would contact security services and requested a "keep check" on her home, according to the outlet.
The police department later received a phone call from someone using a computer-generated voice who claimed responsibility for the call. "They explained that they were upset by Ms. Greene's stance on 'trans-gender youth's rights' and stated that they were trying to 'SWAT' her," police said.
The report said the suspect claimed to be connected to a website that supports cyberstalking, police said.
Greene confirmed the incident on Twitter and thanked the authorities who responded.
"Last night, I was swatted just after 1 am. I can't express enough gratitude to my local law enforcement here in Rome, Floyd County. More details to come," Greene’s post read.
Then on Thursday, police responded to a call about 2:53 a.m. about “a male possibly shooting his family members and then himself,” the Rome Police Department said, according a report obtained by CNBC.
The caller falsely told police that a man “came out as transgender and claimed they shot the family” at Greene’s address, the report said.
The suspect, who called through an internet chat that appeared to be a suicide crisis line, falsely told police responders that a man “came out as trans-gender and claimed they shot the family” at Greene’s address, the report said. “If anyone tried to stop me from shooting myself, I will shoot them,” said the caller, who called through an internet chat that appeared to be a suicide crisis line. The caller told police their name was Wayne Greene and warned that “they would be waiting for us,” according to the police report.
The officers who went to Greene’s house met her at her front door and explained why they were there. It was then that they confirmed this was a second false report, police said.
"Swatted again last night," Greene wrote on Twitter Thursday.
Police said they were unable to see a location used in the suicide chat line “due to the person(s) using a VPN."
The investigation into the incidents is active and involves the Rome Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
